Guided By A Star
by Herald-MageAnduli
Summary: SLASH!Mpreg! SBHP! Harry is falsely convicted of murdering Ginny. He's also been in a secret relationship with Sirius. Add into the mix one special boy born in Azkaban& you get…a typical mess as only Harry can get into! NOT the usual break-out-of-Azkaban fic! Beware the cute and cuddly OC named Polaris Black. READ full summary and warnings! COMPLETE 1/28/13!
1. Prologue

**Title: Guided By A Star  
****Genre: Drama/Family  
****Warnings: **SLASH, mpreg, non-graphic violence & torture, mild swearing  
**Characters: **Harry Potter, Sirius Black, OC's, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa, Draco, Andromeda, Tonks, Weasleys, Hermione, Dumbledore, Bellatrix, assorted DE… LOTS!  
**Pairings: **Sirius x Harry, Lucius x Narcissa, Draco x Hermione, Bill x Tonks, Severus x Remus & Others!  
**Summary: SLASH !SBHP! HP is convicted of murdering Ginny. He's innocent & breaks out after entering Azkaban. Add into the mix the war, people convinced he's guilty & one special little boy born in Azkaban prison & you get… a typical mess as only Harry can get into!**

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**Prologue**_** February 15**__**th**__**, 2001**_

Rain lashed upon her face like the slashes of a whip, driven by the howling fury of the wind and the storms that hovered constantly around this awful place. She shivered and drew her cloak closer around her shoulders with fine, gloved hands. Dressed in heels and a designer gown she looked more fit to be at a ball or party than to be entering Azkaban prison of her own will.

Dropping her hood as she pushed through the huge double doors she straightened out the fine blonde strands that fell like a halo around her fine, delicate features. Ignoring the appreciative glances of the guard standing in the corner she approached the warden and submitted her oak wand for inspection.

"Destination?" he asked, bored.

"Cell Omega-29," she said clearly.

The startled warden looked at her, horn-rimmed glasses sliding down his long, skinny nose. Beady blue eyes looked into her softer blue and he repeated, "Omega-29, are you sure?"

"Absolutely," she snapped. In a haughty tone of voice she added, "I know the path and I wish for the trip to be without escort."

"Listen here lady, that's a dangerous prisoner. You have no right or ability to—"

"I am Lady Narcissa Rhosyn Malfoy, wife to Lucius Malfoy, a member of the Wizengamot," she snapped, "do not tell me what I have the right or ability to do! I _demand_ the trip be unescorted and that I have access to the cell _without_ the presence of a Dementor."

The man recoiled from the obvious flash of temper in Narcissa's blue eyes and stuttered, "It ought to be all right, don't know why you'd want to see _him_ though. He's a scary, murdering bastard, that one."

Coldly she took her wand back from the warden and snapped, "My reasons are my own."

Turning on her heel she walked up to the door leading to the cell blocks. Glaring at the guard, Narcissa swept through the promptly opened door without a backward glance.

Omega-29 was on the innermost cell block, very near to the center of the prison. The centermost cell was Omega-77, considered a magical number most wished to avoid. The cell blocks of Azkaban prison were not only set in levels but spiraling layers. Omega layer was actually an inner tower, Omega-1 at the top and Omega-77 was at the very bottom and middle of the prison.

It was a 45-minute trip from the warden to Omega-29. Narcissa passed 30 Dementors on her trip; she counted them carefully and frowned as she did so. Her goal was going to be extremely difficult to attain, but it was worth it.

Narcissa reached Omega-29 and placed a finger against the metal lock. She felt the small prick as it accessed her blood and the wards around the cell hummed for a moment before dropping. Pushing on the door she entered and left a crack behind her. It wouldn't open again once she shut it.

A silent tear slid down her cheek as she looked at the occupants of the cell under the dim moonlight coming in through the bars of the window. Cornelius Fudge was an idiot, instead of admitting he was wrong he'd imprisoned another innocent in Azkaban.

Though the figure in front of her had only been in here 7 months, he was already paler and thinner than Narcissa had ever seen him, even after being abandoned to those horrid Muggles. There was a twisted pain in the slender, elegant features. His sleep was too agitated to be restful. The trial for the man in front of her had been one of the most insulting public farces Narcissa had ever attended. Had the Aurors involved done _any _investigation at all, they would have released him. It was not physically _capable_ of the man in front of her to kill.

Oh he could have waved his wand and said the spell, but the _area_ the idiot girl had been killed in had wards that prevented anyone who was expecting a child to get near. And the tiny, not quite 24-year-old baby boy cradled protectively and lovingly against his shoulder was proof of the impossibility.

Nearly as painful as watching the trial itself had been watching people tear into the young man afterward. Narcissa could have throttled Molly Elizabeth Weasley nee Prewett. She had been so _important _to the young man and she'd torn into him so badly after the trial that he'd _willingly_ walked over to the Dementors that waited for him.

Narcissa watched with a sad smile as the baby stirred and slowly blinked large, beautiful eyes feathered with the long, dark lashes most girls would die for. Though the baby's eyes were soft blue Narcissa had a feeling she knew what color they were going to end up. Tiny fingers brushed against a thin shoulder and the little boy let out a soft sound that was a mixture between a coo and a whimper.

With the feeling that she was being watched Narcissa reached out and traced a soft cheek. "Hello baby," she crooned softly, smiling. Though 7 months of pregnancy and the birth had been in the prison, the little boy was surprisingly healthy and vigorous. Heartbreakingly beautiful as well, but that was to be expected with who his fathers were.

Lifting her head, Narcissa gazed directly into piercingly dark, intense emerald green eyes. As always, any direct contact between herself and Harry James Potter left Narcissa feeling breathless. The _power_ that flooded this young man's veins was heady and frightening at the same time. Narcissa had wondered for a long time how one young man could have that much power and still be sane.

She'd eventually given up her desire to know, it was just one of the many things that no one understood about Harry. As Harry watched her tears filled his bright eyes. He bent his head and pressed a soft kiss to the small forehead of his son. After a moment he asked brokenly, "Who are you taking him to?"

"My sister Andromeda Tonks," Narcissa answered softly. "She will be good to him; Nymphadora was the only child she was able to carry."

"She is Sirius' favorite cousin, isn't she?" he croaked quietly, shoulders shaking.

"Yes. Am I allowed to tell her who he is?"

Harry nodded. Pressing one last kiss to downy black hair he whispered, "Be good my little star. I love you, my precious Polaris."

Then he gave the tiny baby over to Narcissa. Turning away from her he started crying. When Narcissa reached out to comfort him he choked out, "Go, Narcissa. Nothing you can say or do will help this hurt less. Thank you for helping me."

Narcissa stepped out of the cell and shut the door. The wards flared red and locked down. Narcissa tucked little Polaris against her shoulder underneath the fur edge of her cloak, completely hiding the small body. The little boy was very quiet, as if he sensed it was important that he not make a single sound.

The first Dementor approached her when she was half-way down the cell block. It passed right by her and she sighed in relief. Her suspicion had been correct; the creatures only noticed those who were trained in magic. The next test would be the most important one.

The walk out of the cell block was quiet, only the soft warmth of Polaris' small body against her shoulder reassured Narcissa that the baby was really there. As she approached the front doors she took a deep breath. There was a powerful Sensory ward on the doors, she could only hope that it wasn't attuned enough to separate Polaris' untrained magic from her trained abilities, or detect the small life form resting against her much larger one.

To her weak-kneed relief they passed through without a problem. Once clear of the anti-Apparition wards she concentrated on her sister's address and disappeared with a crack. When they appeared again just outside of her sister's wards Polaris whimpered a little, upset by the pressure of Apparition. Narcissa comforted him; she would have preferred another method of transportation with a day-old child. Andromeda was inaccessible by Floo and Narcissa would not tempt fate with an unauthorized Portkey.

Drawing her wand she whispered, "_Expecto Patronum!"_

Narcissa knew her sister would recognize the white fox as her own Patronus. She could only hope that Andromeda would be in a good mood and not hex her on sight.

"Narcissa?" A voice called. "Cissy, is that you?"

"Yes it's me, Andromeda. I used to call you Andra as a child," Narcissa replied.

"Come on inside," she said eventually.

Narcissa stepped through the ward and up to her sister, a slightly prettier and less masculine featured version of their mutual sister Bellatrix. Her dark eyes softened when she saw the tiny baby and she asked, "May I hold the child?"

"Of course," Narcissa replied, handing Polaris gently over to her sister.

"What a gorgeous little boy," Andromeda crooned at him, brushing back downy black hair.

"Sister, do you believe Harry Potter guilty of murdering Ginerva Weasley?"

Andromeda looked up, startled. "No, I never did. Both on my own and because of our cousin Sirius. He was so _adamant_ that there was no way Harry could or would do such a thing. I have to admit, he seems far too gentle natured to hurt another, let alone kill them. Why do you ask?"

"Because he had a favor that he wanted me to ask you."

"What would that be?"

"To love his son and treat him as gently as you did your daughter until such time that it is safe for Polaris to be with his fathers."

Andromeda's face paled and she looked down at the tiny baby boy. The aristocratic, proud features of the Black family were prominent on the tiny baby's face and hands, and he looked so familiar…

"This is Sirius' son!" she breathed, stunned.

Narcissa nodded. "It is not safe for Polaris to be with his father at this time. Sirius may have been exonerated after an Auror saw Pettigrew, but since Harry's imprisonment he's become more reckless than ever. For now it is safer and more secure for Polaris to remain unknown."

"He's safer from the Death Eaters as well," Andromeda guessed.

Narcissa's expression grew grave and she whispered, "I fear Bellatrix may have already guessed that this child exists. She keeps hinting that a more 'satisfying' way exists to hurt our cousin. Will you do this, Andromeda?"

"Yes," she answered. "One question, sister. Why would you not raise him?"

"I would gladly do so, but as you know Lucius was found out as a spy for the Order. What you do _not_ know is that we are turning the Manor into headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. So if I kept Polaris, he would be around Sirius constantly. Our cousin is no idiot, though he may act like it sometimes. He would eventually guess."

Narcissa stood to leave. Just before doing so she retrieved a small necklace and matching bracelet. The necklace looked like twisted rope and had three charms on it. To the left was a large dog, the right had a wolf's head thrown back in howl. In the exact middle was an eight-point star, hollow, with a bright purple amethyst in the center. The bracelet had the same image embedded in a flat link the length of an adult pinkie finger.

"The necklace is charmed to never choke or harm Polaris, once he is 2 years old only he can remove it and it has protective wards and enchantments. The image on the bracelet activates a passive tracking spell that can't be blocked."

She pressed a kiss to the tiny forehead and said softly, "Goodbye Polaris Sirius Black. I will never forget you and I hope to the star you were named for that we shall meet again soon."

Little did Narcissa Rhosyn Malfoy know it would be 2 ½ years before she would once again see little Polaris.

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**A/N: So I just couldn't stay away from this pairing... LIKE? HATE? What do you think? REVIEW! (Pleease?) Just a note, I know universal popularity is impossible, so flames are a waste of your time and will be used to heat my house in the winter...**


	2. One: Reflections

**A/N:** I don't own HP or any characters you recognize. Thank you for giving this tale a chance! Mild language. BTW, hope this post clears things up a little.

_**Polaris-**__ The North Star, the brightest star in the Big Dipper. Also called the guiding star. I thought it was a cute name for Sirius' son._

**One**- _Reflections_

Unaware that his newborn son had just been dropped off at his favorite cousins' residence, Sirius Orion Black opened his eyes and blearily glared at the sunlight pouring in through his window. When he swung long, muscular legs over the edge of his bed and sat up, he groaned and transferred the glare to the now ever-present glass bottle of refilling Ogden's Black Label firewhiskey. Putting his head in his hands he waited for the pounding headache to abate. He was about half-way successful when his door opened and shut again with a sharp _BANG._

Wincing in real pain he looked up through watering gray eyes into smug black ones and said, "What was that for Sni- Severus?"

"What are you muttering about now? All I did was open and close the door," Severus' tone was all innocence.

Sirius glared at the Death Eater turned spy and growled, "You bloody hell didn't just shut it, you _slammed _it, which you very well know is making my head spin right now."

"And whose fault is that when you refuse a perfectly good Dreamless Sleep potion?" Severus said tartly.

"Getting drunk is more fun," Sirius mumbled, staring at the muddy green Hangover potion in Severus' hand. "If it annoys you I think you can find the door."

"As a matter of fact it doesn't, but at the moment Grimmauld Place is still Headquarters, until we transfer everything to Malfoy Manor. At the moment Albus is unaware of your relationship with Harry Potter; do you think he'll stay ignorant of that if you're drinking yourself to sleep every night?" An outsider would have been shocked, Severus' voice actually sounded concerned.

"It doesn't matter," Sirius muttered, ignoring the feeling that name gave him. "He's overage."

"But _was_ he when this started?" Severus asked pointedly. When Sirius stayed quiet he said, "I thought not."

"It's not a big deal," Sirius muttered. "Only you, Remus, Tonks, Draco and Narcissa know. Now hand over the potion, please?"

Severus tossed him the corked bottle and walked out. Thank Merlin he didn't slam the door again. Sirius took a long gulp of the Hangover Potion and stored the rest next to the firewhiskey bottle, grimacing at the taste. He knew Severus could make better tasting versions, the man seemed to take vindictive pleasure in making sure his victims- uh _patients_ understood the stupidity of their decisions. Rubbing his temples he had to grin as he remembered how come he was finally getting along with the snarky ex-Slytherin in the first place.

_Flashback-_

"_What's wrong mutt can't get the simple idea through your head?" Severus sneered at him._

"_Shut up Snivellus, I seem to have a stronger thought process than you think," Sirius retorted._

"_Sirius, just leave—"Remus began._

"_Shut it, wolf," black eyes glared at amber ones._

"_SHUT UP!" a voice roared. Sirius jumped and turned around._

_Harry was standing in the doorway, glaring at the three of them. He had his hands on his hips and the green eyes inherited from his mother sparked with a certain witch's well-known and feared temper. Sirius flashed a quick grin at his young love, still in his last year at Hogwarts. At the furious stare he received back he decided it was safer to look at the floor._

"_I have had enough of this," he growled in irritation. Without a further word he walked forward and decked Severus, sending him right into the wall behind him. Crossing his arms over his chest he glared at the Potions Master and said, "_THAT_ is the only thing I'm going to do regarding the way you've treated me for the past six and a half years."_

_Turning his back on Snape, whose expression was unreadable, Harry glared first at Remus, waiting until the werewolf bowed amber eyes to the floor. Finally he caught Sirius' eyes, staring into them with such a fierce fury that Sirius couldn't come up with an offhand comment. He looked away from the teenager, stunned with the power of Harry's irritation._

"_I am sick," Harry said, enunciating clearly, "of you three. You are in your late thirties, for Merlin's sake! You act like a bunch of the immature, arrogant idiots I go to school with. We are in the middle of a war and the three of you can't get over a _handful _of incidents from school. So I've got some words for the three of you."_

_Turning to Severus he glared into black eyes and sighed. "My name is Harry. USE IT. Maybe if you try calling me by something other than my surname you'll realize I'm not my father by a long shot. Stop calling Remus 'wolf' and Sirius 'mutt'. Stop insinuating about my lack of intelligence, it's getting old. Furthermore," Harry drew his wand, "I, Harry James Potter, do hereby release Severus Tobias Snape from the unintentional life debt originally owed to my father James Godric Potter."_

_Turning to Remus he stared at the werewolf for a long moment before he said, "Remus, I know you don't like letting the wolf have control, but you need to stop trying to hide in a corner or be in the middle of these two idiots. Stand up for yourself for once and if you're still hurt over the Shrieking Shack incident SAY so."_

_Turning to Sirius he glared hard into gray eyes. "If I hear one more use of 'git' 'greasy' 'snake' or so help me 'Snivellus', I will curse you so badly you won't be able to move for a month. I expect you to apologize to Severus, a _meaningful, sincere _apology, Sirius. No more of your funny but mean pranks, no more arguments. Act like something other than a damn child for once. This doesn't mean you're forbidden from playing jokes on people, but there's a difference you need to learn from a joke and a prank."_

_Striding over to the open doorway he stopped and turned to them with one last flat stare. "I care a great deal about all three of you but it's about time someone told you to grow up."_

_He walked out, leaving behind a stunned, awkward silence._

Sirius ruefully rubbed the back of his neck. Even after Harry's warning it had taken a couple painful hexes for Sirius to get over the habit of calling Severus by a childhood nickname. Now however, it was firmly engrained, even though Harry was in Azkaban Sirius still wouldn't call Severus by that name. He'd apologized to Severus and kept his mouth shut when it turned out that Severus had a huge crush on Remus. They'd been seeing each other going on 4 months now.

Sirius stumbled into his shower, turning on the water full blast. As it ran through his chin-length hair and down his face it mixed with tears. Sirius shut his eyes and remembered.

_It had been a balmy day in early August; he'd been sitting out on the grass by the Black Lake with Harry, watching as his young love had tilted his head back and shut his eyes, letting the warmth of the sun hit his pale, glowing skin. They'd been on Hogwarts grounds after helping renew the wards around the school, Harry's level of power had given the wards a strength they hadn't seen in years._

_When they'd returned to the Great Hall two Aurors neither one had met before had been talking to Kingsley. Tonks had been listening in and she said, "You can't be SERIOUS!"_

_One had turned in their direction and stared at Harry without saying anything for an uncomfortable amount of time. Harry had shifted nervously and said, "Can I help you?"_

_Another Auror had moved up behind Harry while he was speaking and grabbed his right wrist. Flicking Harry's holly wand out of his pocket he'd thrown it to his partner and grabbed Harry's other wrist, binding them together tightly behind his back._

"_What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sirius had growled._

_Harry's face had gone whiter than a sheet when the Auror in front of him smirked and said, "Harry James Potter, you are hereby arrested by the Ministry of Magic for the murder of Ginerva Elizabeth Weasley on September 28__th__."_

"_What?" Harry rasped._

_The _trial_ that had followed had been one of the most painful things Sirius had ever attended. Stunned, he'd watched the wizarding world turn its back on Harry and sentence him to life in Azkaban prison. Pale-faced, Harry had approached Molly Weasley. He'd no more than licked his lips to speak when she'd torn into him._

"_TO THINK I SHELTERED YOU FOR SEVEN YEARS! YOU'VE BEEN PROLONGING THIS WAR FOR YOUR 15 MINUTES OF FAME, JUST LIKE RITA SKEETER WROTE! NOW YOU'VE KILLED MY PRECIOUS GINNY, MY ONLY DAUGHTER. YOU WILL ROT IN THAT PLACE AND GOOD RIDDANCE! I WISH I'D NEVER SET EYES ON YOU. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF HAD __**YOU**__ DIED AND YOUR PARENTS LIVED. THEY WOULD BE ASHAMED TO SEE YOU NOW; YOU ARE AN _INSULT_ TO THEIR MEMORIES!"_

_A single tear had slid down Harry's face as she finished. He'd turned his eyes to the floor and before Sirius had a chance to say anything, he'd turned around and walked over to the Dementors waiting near the exit. He'd passed out 10 feet from the foul creatures who had picked him up and disappeared with their cold, painful version of Apparition._

Sirius had never been so angry at someone in his life. He would never forgive Molly Weasley, Harry had looked up to her from the age of 11 and when people had turned on their famous savior she'd proven herself just another fickle friend. Sirius _knew_ Harry wasn't capable of murder, it just wasn't in his nature. Harry had such a gentle spirit and kind nature that to accuse him of a crime like murder was more of a laugh than anything.

Now he'd been in Azkaban for 7 long months. Sirius could kick himself for being such a coward, he'd wanted to ask Harry to bond with him since he'd graduated, but he kept holding back. Now he was in Azkaban prison 3 years later and unless they proved his innocence Sirius would never get the chance.

As he slid into his jeans and prepared for another day he muttered, "I'm going to get you out of there, Harry. No matter how long it takes."


	3. Two: Break Out

**Two-** _Break Out_

_It's time, _he thought. _I've been in here long enough; the Ministry isn't going to listen._

Harry stood up inside his prison cell, steadier in his Animagus form than he was on his own two feet. With four paws and a tail he waited for the Dementors to pass by. Sirius had been right; it was easier to bear the creatures in this form. Unfortunately since Sirius had made his escape 9 years previous the Ministry had made it impossible to slip through the barred door. However, Harry had an alternate route.

It was 2 in the morning; all the human guards had been released at 11. Only the Dementors remained ever silent guardians. His route took 25 minutes between the creatures, more than enough time if he moved quickly. Furry, triangular ears pricked and he listened. After a moment, the Dementor appeared.

In this form Harry only heard the faintest of his mother's screams as the creature paused outside his cell. The foul thing remained there for a moment, searching out for any happy emotions or memories. However, Harry had long since learned how to keep them at bay. He kept his memory of 2 ½ years ago at the front of his mind; the memory of giving up his newborn son to Narcissa so that he could be taken out of the prison. There was nothing happy about it besides the fierce satisfaction that his son would be safe.

The creature passed on. Harry remained where he was, just in case it doubled back. Counting off 3 minutes in his head he transformed back to his human body with a swift '_pop'_. He made his way over to the steel-barred window with a slight lip on either side. Hooking his hands on the top of the outside bars he levered his way up onto the tilted ledge.

Switching his hands to the outside he stuck his legs through and easily slid between the two bars. Changing his hands so that he was holding the bars up near the top edge and behind his back he carefully pulled himself up onto the ledge. Fierce rain pelted his face and the roar of the waves crashing into the cliffs 45 feet below him was competing with the crack of thunder.

Taking a moment to steel his nerves, Harry crouched slightly. Pushing away from the wall and off the ledge at the same moment, he jumped into thin air and hovered a second before falling toward the water. The noise that accompanied his mid-air change into his Animagus form was drowned out by a terrific '_crack'_ of lighting, which illuminated the water he was falling toward at what seemed a terrifying rate.

He hit the icy, dark water and plunged beneath the surface. Paddling steadily toward the surface, he took only a moment to look at the jagged, narrow spines of rock he'd barely missed hitting. Breaking the surface, he gulped in air and started paddling _away_ from the cliffs, into the waves. He never gave the prison a second glance.

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He finally reached the opposite shore just as the sun was beginning to rise. Wearily crawling onto the beach, the green-eyed white wolf flopped onto the sand, sides heaving. Wet fur clung to his body and head, showing exactly how thin he was. Each rib was well-defined and he felt a sudden empathy for Sirius' description of eating rats.

Harry dragged himself to his feet after a long moment, walking wearily in the direction of the woods. He was thirstier than he'd thought possible and let his sharp nose sniff the air, searching for fresh water. Catching the hint of something that was making his mouth water he walked slowly through the trees.

Smoke! Hoping he'd managed to stumble across an abandoned camp he crouched low to the ground and stared through the trees. It was a camp all right, only it wasn't abandoned. There were dry clothes hanging on a line and a chest he was pretty sure carried food. Hunger overcame caution and he changed back into human form.

Walking into the unattended camp he opened the dry chest. His eyes widened. Jerky, biscuits, a self-refilling canteen, a pocket knife and a plethora of fire-lighting tools, including Muggle lighters. Spotting a knapsack near the edge of the camp with a rolled up bedroll Harry grinned. How lucky was he?

Stuffing the knapsack full of food and the knife and lighter, he filled the canteen with fresh water from the creek and screwed the lid on tightly. Chancing it, he stripped off his wet clothes and stepped into a pair of black cargo pants, pulling a dark green hooded sweatshirt over his head. Sliding into a pair of tennis shoes he grabbed the knapsack and took off.

Nibbling on some jerky he continued walking until his hair was dry enough to cover with the hood. Throwing the knapsack over his shoulder he concentrated on his destination and disappeared with a '_crack'._

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Andromeda Tonks unfolded her _Daily Prophet _with a gasp. There on the front page was the image of Harry Potter from his trial with the caption '**BREAKOUT: HARRY POTTER ON THE LOOSE!'** Sipping her morning coffee she wondered if it was possible that Polaris would soon meet his father. She hoped so; she knew Sirius would be overjoyed to meet his son.

The last 2 ½ years had been pure joy. Polaris was every bit the mischievous young child Sirius had been, along with the strikingly innocent intelligence and honesty that characterized Harry. He was certainly his own person however, stubborn, strong-willed and yet lovable. He was a happy child, very rarely throwing any sort of temper. When it _did_ appear, it made Andromeda want to laugh. Lily Potters' fiery temper was unmistakable in her grandson.

His appearance was taking on more of Sirius' traits as he got older, Harry's strongest physical resemblance were in the silvery-green eyes and the slender bones of his face and body. At 2 ½ he was small and slender, but the long bones promised a height similar to Sirius.

Hearing a whisper of movement Andromeda turned her head and saw young Pol looking at her with wide, sleepy eyes. He shuffled over to her chair and she picked him up, sitting him on her lap. This was another similarity to Sirius, it took Polaris a good while to wake up. Until then he didn't mind being cuddled, resting his head against her shoulder.

"Morning sleepyhead. You're up early though, that's going to be a long day."

Polaris didn't reply, looking instead at the paper. Perking up slightly, he tapped the picture of Harry with one hand and said, "Papa?"

From the age of 15 months Polaris had been able to recognize both Sirius and Harry in pictures. Even in older ones when Sirius was younger or the ones where he was pictured with Regulus. This last astonished Andromeda, as Regulus and Sirius had looked very similar to each other. However, Polaris could unfailingly point out both his 'Daddy' and 'Papa'.

"Yes, that's papa. You know his picture pretty well, huh?"

Polaris gave her a look that said quite clearly, '_well duh!'_

When she heard the crack of Apparition outside she set Pol down and hurried to a window. Looking through it she gasped. Popping open the door she walked swiftly up to the figure and pulled him into a fierce hug. "_Harry!_"

"Ssh," he murmured. "Can't talk too loudly. I know the Ministry knows I'm out. I just had to come by. Can I see Polaris?" he asked the last a bit timidly.

"He's your son; of course you can see him!" Turning toward the house she said, "Polaris! Come on outside, honey, there's someone here to see you!"

Andromeda watched Harry's thin face and saw dark green eyes brighten and then film suspiciously with liquid. A trembling smile crossed his lips and as Andromeda saw Polaris approaching out of the corner of her eye, he dropped to a crouch.

Polaris walked without hesitation right up to Harry and threw himself into slender arms. "Papa!"

Tears were openly streaming down Harry's face as he wrapped his thin arms around Pol and picked him up. They splashed onto Polaris' fine black hair and the little boy asked with a frown, "Why crying, papa?"

Harry choked on the obvious concern in the little voice and whispered, "Good tears, Polaris. I haven't seen you in so long, sweetheart. Are you being good for Aunt Andra?"

"Yeah," answered Polaris softly, touching one of Harry's larger hands with his small one.

Drawing Harry's eyes to hers Andromeda said softly, "He is an absolute joy, Harry. He reminds me so much of Sirius when he was a child."

"Thank you for taking such good care of him, Andromeda. I knew he would be safe and loved with you. Can I ask you to keep him for a little longer, until I try and find out who framed me?"

"Of course," she answered, watching quiet, happy Polaris.

"Polaris," Harry said softly. When gray-green eyes met his he continued, "I have to go, little one. You're going to stay with Aunt Andra for a while longer. I promise it won't be forever though. Then you can come live with me. How does that sound?"

"Stay," Polaris whimpered.

"I can't baby. I have to go, but only for a little while. I promise we'll be together soon."

Polaris thought for a moment. His eyes brightened a little and he said, "Daddy?"

"Yes, your daddy will be with us too," Harry said with a soft, sad smile. _At least I hope so,_ that smile said.

He handed Polaris to Andromeda as he said, "Be good my little star. Goodbye Andromeda and thank you for everything."

"Be safe Harry," Andromeda replied as Polaris shyly waved.

Harry blew a kiss at his son and disappeared. Andromeda turned to Polaris after a moment and said, "What do you want for breakfast, little star?"

As Polaris thought about that she walked back toward the house, smiling a little. Things were looking up for the small family. She cheerfully anticipated watching Sirius' expression when he met his son for the first time.

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Sirius was sitting at the dining room table of Malfoy Manor when an owl flew in, _Daily Prophet_ clenched in its talons. He removed the paper and gave the bird 5 Knuts before unfolding it. He froze, stared at the headline and had to restrain the huge grin that threatened to spread across his face. 3 years after being imprisoned in Azkaban Harry had apparently had enough.

**BREAKOUT: HARRY POTTER ON THE LOOSE**

_By Rita Skeeter_

_Ministry of Magic- It is this reporter's solemn duty to inform the public that the convict __**Harry James Potter**__, imprisoned for murder 3 years ago, has escaped Azkaban prison. The Ministry reminds the magical community that Mr. Potter is extremely dangerous with or without a wand and that any sightings should be reported and _not _acted upon._

_So far the Ministry is unsure of how Potter escaped the prison. After the Veritaserum testimony that cleared __**Sirius Orion Black**__ of all charges 4 years ago blood wards were placed on the cell doors, preventing the use of an Animagus form to slip through the bars._

_The most likely scenario at this point is the barred window of Mr. Potter's cell. The Auror Department has theorized that Potter was thin enough to slip through the window. The only possible route after that was a 45 foot drop into the sea. This has been supported by the claims of missing items from a trio of Muggleborns who were camping on the coast opposite Potter's cell._

_His location and destination are unknown at press time. The Ministry reminds us all that Mr. Potter's appearance may have changed in 3 years, but the scar he was given by Lord Voldemort remains his most permanent form of identification. IF you see someone with a lightning-bolt scar above their left eyebrow, NOTIFY THE MINISTRY AUROR DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY._

_Dementors have been released to track down Mr. Potter, so another form of notification is the corporeal Patronus of a stag. Mr. Potter has been able to conjure this image since his 3__rd__ year at Hogwarts School._

_**For more information on dealing with escaped convicts, see inside.**_

Sirius grinned and briefly shivered as he read the part about the water. The water outside Azkaban was like icy needles, highly unpleasant. Smiling, he left the paper where it was and headed up to his room to change. The news that Harry was _out_ was a huge relief. Suddenly he thought of something and his eyes widened.

"Kreacher!" he snapped aloud.

With a _pop_ the house elf appeared, making it's grudging bow. "What is Master's wishes?"

"I want you to remain at Grimmauld Place. Harry has escaped Azkaban prison and he may head there for some place to stay. _If_ he shows there, I want you to notify me immediately. You are not allowed in any way, shape or form to inform anyone else that he is there," Sirius added sternly.

"Master knows best," Kreacher replied snidely, before disappearing.

_I'll help you any way I can, Harry. Just be careful, please._

Whistling, he stripped and headed into the shower, mood higher than it had been in 3 years.


	4. Three: Grimmauld

**A/N:**** Here's an update! If you notice a difference in terminology or spelling it's due to Pinky Brown. I never realized the difference between British and American English outside of words like Mum and the spelling of certain others. So in an effort to be authentic I am working on my Brit English!**

**Three**_- Grimmauld Place (Early July, 2003)_

Harry was trekking quietly through the Forest of Dean, thoughts focused on how to track down what had happened to Ginny. He was doing this only because he wanted to be free again. He couldn't care less about any closure Molly and Arthur received from correctly identifying her murderer. Molly had shown her true colors the day of his trial. The only Weasleys he could trust were Fred and George, the twins were like his brothers at heart and knew him better than he knew himself, so it seemed sometimes.

_I need,_ he thought, _someplace to work from. If only 12 Grimmauld Place wasn't—_he froze. Coming to a complete halt he said out loud, "Number 12 Grimmauld Place."

The Fidelius was broken. What did that mean? He hadn't heard of anyone getting killed or an attack by the Dark Lord. That meant the Fidelius had been removed. Either the Order had moved Headquarters or… he smiled grimly. _Or the Aurors asked them to leave it open as a trap. Well, there's only one way to tell._

Closing his eyes he concentrated and Apparated. With a _crack_ he appeared in the park across the street. He scanned the street, searching for a magical presence. Aurors were for the most part ignorant about how to blend in with Muggles. Sighting nothing suspicious he crossed the street walked up the few steps and opened the door. Creeping past the portrait of Walburga he ended up in the dining room.

Kreacher appeared in front of him, looked up and muttered, "Got to alert him, I suppose. Why help convicts, Kreacher asks, but no one answers."

"Who are you alerting?" Harry asked sharply.

"Master Black of course," Kreacher muttered. "Told me to notify him if you showed here, said I wasn't to tell anyone else. Kreacher does his duty, even if Master is the poorest excuse for the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black."

"Sirius is the only good member of your 'Most Noble' family, Kreacher," Harry retorted.

He turned his back on the house elf, which disappeared with a _pop_. Wandering up the stairs, he found the room he'd shared with Ron before he and Sirius had started sleeping together. It had been easy enough to disguise his disappearance with a charm, though the illusion wasn't a solid one. They'd had a couple close calls; one had been almost too close for comfort.

The last thing Harry had wanted was for Sirius to go _back_ to prison for sleeping with someone who was underage. Therefore, the pair had taken precautions and clued in both Severus and Remus once Severus had gotten over his habit of looking at Harry and seeing his old tormentor.

Sitting on his old bed he noticed a box under Ron's. Pulling it out he opened it and started looking through the inside. The first thing he noticed was that on each picture that included Harry, someone had cut him out of it. The whole box had pictures of Hermione and Ron. Second, there was a bunch of letters in the box, with handwriting that looked suspiciously like Ron's and another that looked _very_ familiar from somewhere.

Picking up one of the letters Harry began to read.

_Weasel,_

_Don't you realize how important it is to not mail me a letter by name? I have to remain anonymous in this for it to work. Nevertheless, it should work flawlessly. The potion enclosed should mask the magical signature of the person casting, even if they use another's wand. Make sure Potter doesn't realize you're using his wand, otherwise the Wizengamot will know he filed a report for a missing wand._

_I'm surprised you don't have any regrets sacrificing your sister, but at the same time I understand. I was often the one left behind, the one people ignored. I grew to hate them, their intelligence and charisma. The way people could look at me and say, "Oh are you friends with _them?_" As if it was such a great HONOR._

_You will be greatly rewarded for this task, Weasel. HE may be a hard task-master but he rewards those who are loyal and competent. Make sure you do not misplace your token, until he marks you that will be your only notification of meetings. DO NOT be late to any of his meetings; he does not stand for excuses._

_Be Careful,_

_Rat_

Harry stared at the letter, unable to believe what he'd just read. The codenames were awful, which made him suspect the letter was a plant. There was also the fact Headquarters had been switched and it hardly seemed likely Ron would forget something like this.

But was it _possible_? Could Ron, his best friend, have worked with _Peter Pettigrew_ of all people to frame him for murder? Could he have actually killed his own sister on the Dark Lord's orders? Harry's head was spinning.

As he was sitting there he felt a pair of arms go around his waist and he turned into it without hesitation. There was no question of identity, only Sirius could sneak up on him without Harry sensing him. He tilted his face up and Sirius kissed him, hard. After they broke apart he simply leaned into the older man, enjoying the warmth and comfort.

Taking a deep breath he handed Sirius the letter and said, "Read this."

Sirius plucked it out of his fingers and tugged him downstairs. Flopping into a chair and pulling Harry into his lap, he played along Harry's sensitive skin at his back with one hand as he read. Harry closed his eyes and enjoyed the play of Sirius' firm hands until the hand suddenly froze. Harry was watching as expressive dark gray eyes darkened further in rage as it came to the end.

"Was I correct on the handwriting?" Harry asked softly.

"That's Peter's all right," Sirius spat. "I can't believe your friend Ron would do something like this though. Merlin, it's like what happened 22 years ago!"

Harry traced Sirius' cheekbone with one hand as he said, "But unlike James I'm not dead, Siri."

"Thank Merlin," Sirius murmured, kissing the back of his neck at his nape. Harry shivered a little.

"Why don't you take a hot bath and I'll fix us something to eat? While we eat I can catch you up on all that's been happening recently."

"Sounds heavenly," Harry said with a sigh, reluctantly pulling out of Sirius' embrace. He turned to the Marauder, kissed him on the lips and headed up the stairs.

When Harry had disappeared up the stairs Sirius stared at the letter, eyes burning with anger. He'd just seen Ron two days ago, the ginger-haired Weasley had been ranting about the fact that Harry was obviously a Dark Wizard having broken out of Azkaban.

He'd been ranting right in front of Sirius, who'd arched an eyebrow and drawled, "I would watch my suggestions if I were you, Ronald. I am most certainly not a Dark Wizard and I was able to escape that prison."

Ron's ears had gone red and he'd walked away, muttering under his breath. Hermione Granger had always had doubts about Harry's guilt and this caused her eventual split with the youngest Weasley male. She was now going out with Draco Malfoy, much to the dislike of Lucius whose primary interest was maintaining the blood purity of his family.

Narcissa would give her husband a flat blue stare when he started muttering about Hermione and Sirius had overheard a rather large argument between the two over the issue. Narcissa saw the girl as a positive influence in Draco's life and pointed out that the girl's magical power surely made up for the lack of wizards in her bloodline. That was one of the funny things over the past three years. Narcissa had changed. Without the oppressive atmosphere that dictated her husband's Death Eater life, she had begun to show a surprising amount of nerve and determination.

Of course, Sirius had heard of the many arguments and clashes Narcissa had been in with Lucius' mum, Belladonna Elpis Malfoy. The woman was Greek; her middle name meant 'hope'. It was from her that Lucius and Draco had gotten their high cheekbones and silvery-grey eyes. The former Lady Malfoy had not approved in the slightest of her prospective daughter-in-law, she'd said more than once that the Blacks as a whole were too high-spirited and strong-willed.

She'd been overridden by her controlling arse of a husband named Abraxas Malfoy. Abraxas was an only child and one of the original Death Eaters. He'd sworn Lucius to the Dark Lord when his son had been the tender age of 6 months. Dark to a fanatical point, only the wealth and power of his family name had kept Abraxas from Azkaban prison. Ironic that this powerful figure had been killed by something as innocent as dragon pox. It had been Abraxas and Narcissa's father Cygnus who arranged their marriage back when the pair had been pre-Hogwarts age.

Sirius' family didn't have a reputation for being very long-lived. 1979 had been one of the worst years he could remember for deaths in the Black family. His father Orion, brother Regulus and Narcissa's father Cygnus had all died that year. Regulus had been the last, his poor, foolish brother. Dead at all of 18 years old.

While he was thinking about his family he summoned Kreacher and requested some light snacks and a pot of Earl Grey tea. It was Harry's favourite if he remembered correctly. With the assistance of a roaring fire and a few Warming Charms the somewhat dank living room brightened and settled to a comfortable temperature range.

Harry appeared in the doorway again a couple of minutes later, hair still damp and dripping slightly from his warm bath. He was far too thin and pale for Sirius' comfort but that could be fixed. He padded silently across the floor and sank into Sirius' arms, a warm vibrant presence that had been missing for 3 years too long.

Accepting a cup of tea Harry took a grateful sip of the hot liquid and said lightly, "So what have I missed in three years?"

The casual way he spoke didn't fool Sirius, but he responded in kind. "Well, neither Severus nor Lucius are spying on the Dark Lord anymore. Hermione broke up with Ronald and has been going with Draco Malfoy recently, much to Lucius' dismay and Narcissa's amusement."

"Hmm, considering what Hermione did to Draco in our 3rd year I'm surprised that came about. Not to mention 7 years of insults and pranks."

"What happened?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Hermione was pissed off with Draco for mocking Hagrid. This was when we still thought Buckbeak was going to be executed. We came upon him and his sniggering cronies and she punched him in the face."

Sirius looked at Harry for one incredulous moment and burst out laughing. "Good job Hermione! That is the last thing I'd expect from her, even Moony would be more likely than she."

Sirius went back to his conversation, still chuckling at the idea of a girl like Hermione punching Draco Malfoy. Their conversation took them through a couple of small sandwiches and three cups of tea on Harry's part before the latter began to yawn. Sirius grinned and stood, hooking one arm under Harry's knees and another under his shoulders as he did so.

Harry gave an undignified squeak and clung to Sirius, startled by the _much_ taller wizard's sudden movement. "Shall we adjourn until morning?" he asked. "I know you haven't slept in a long time and I could use a decent sleep myself."

Harry nodded and kissed his cheekbone. He wordlessly permitted Sirius to continue carrying him, emerald eyes already drifting shut. Sirius smiled and said softly, "I'm glad you are out of there, Harry."

"So am I," Harry murmured. "Love you Siri."

"And I you, my precious Harry."


	5. Four: A Dangerous Trip

**Four**_- A Dangerous Trip_

Harry had been in Grimmauld Place for a week. Aside from the fact that he was confined to quarters and unable to walk out the front door it was wonderful. Sirius kept him company, returning only when necessary. He slept at Headquarters as it was too dangerous for him to stay away overnight. However, there were no suspicions about his activities yet, he'd commented to Harry.

Yet being the key word, Harry had reminded. To say Harry was paranoid took it too far, he was simply being cautious. He had no desire to return to Azkaban any time soon.

Harry _did_ have to admit that Sirius currently had reason to doubt his love of the outside world. His grey-eyed lover stared at him and said after a long moment, "Are you serious?"

"No, but you are," Harry replied. Cheeky, corny and more than worn out, Sirius still chuckled a little. More in exasperation than amusement however.

"So let me get this straight. You don't want to be found and you don't want to go back to Azkaban. Yet you want to go into _Diagon Alley,_ walk amongst a bunch of witches and wizards and stroll into Gringotts Bank. It doesn't make sense."

Harry crawled into Sirius' lap and placed his head on his lover's shoulder. He could feel the increased pace of his heartbeat and heard the slight hitch to his breathing. Later on Harry would probably feel guilty about using Sirius' attraction to him to get his way, but for now he was willing to do just about anything.

"It doesn't make sense to me either, Siri," he whispered. "All I know is that I'm desperately nervous about something and I can _feel_ there's something I need to know there."

Sirius sighed, a puff of warm breath against his skin. "I don't know why I let you talk me into these things. So are we just going to waltz through the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Nope," Harry said smugly. "Fred and George will help us most likely. Is Grimmauld connected to the Floo?"

"Yes, but they're Weasleys love. Are you sure you can trust them?"

Harry stood, took a small handful of sparkling green Floo Powder and shot over his shoulder, "I'm pretty sure Siri. Being their silent partner has its perks."

Sirius' jaw dropped as he turned back to the fireplace and tossed the powder. "Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, Diagon Alley!"

The fire turned emerald green as Sirius came to crouch next to him. He was nervously stroking the soft skin of Harry's arm when one of the twins' heads popped up.

"Weasley Wizarding, Floo Order Service. My name is George Weasley, how can I—"he trailed off, staring at sparkling emerald eyes.

"Harry!" He yelped. "Merlin, thank goodness you're safe! Fred and I have been worried about you ever since we saw the paper. We never believed it Harry; we left The Burrow the moment the trial was over. Mum's attitude was making us sick."

"Can you help us out? Sirius and I need to come to Diagon Alley, but we need some help on a disguise."

"Come on through, Harry. You're safe with us, this opens into our storeroom and office above the shop."

When Harry started to straighten and step through, Sirius placed an arm on his chest and stopped him. "Let me go through first?"

Harry started to protest, worried about Sirius being caught with him. Sirius pinned him with wide grey puppy eyes and said softly, "Indulge me, please?"

Harry sighed, pressed his forehead to Sirius' and nodded. The other placed a kiss on his forehead and stepped into the flames, disappearing. What felt like hours but was only a couple of nervous minutes later Sirius' voice said, "Come on through, Harry!"

Harry stepped into the fireplace and shut his eyes. He still felt the vertigo and spinning when he came out on the other side, however. Sirius had anticipated him and held onto him until he steadied. Smiling at the older wizard he turned to the grinning twins and scowled. "What reason is behind the Cheshire cat grins?"

"No reason at all," Fred replied blandly, still grinning. Then he launched forward and hugged Harry, who stiffened before relaxing to a certain point.

George rolled his eyes and said with a gleeful smile, "So Harry, what are you in the need of today?"

"For now a disguise that can get me into Gringotts."

"Hmm," Fred tapped his chin, thinking hard. All of a sudden he gave a grin and said, "I know just the thing."

Turning around he ventured over to a box and pulled out two objects. Clipping one onto the other he returned and laid them on the table. Harry looked at them curiously. They appeared to be a dog collar and—His eyes widened.

"NO WAY!" He yelped.

"Oh come on Harry, you already have the best disguise, it just needs to look legit. This provides that, all people will see is that the Lord Black finally acquired an appropriate familiar."

Harry grumbled. Sirius was looking at him oddly and then looked back to the objects on the table. Suddenly he snickered and coughed sharply to cover a laugh. Harry glared at him with sharp green eyes and he lost it, laughing loudly.

Harry tapped one foot for a moment, grumbled and concentrated. With a '_pop'_ the pure white wolf was standing right where he had been, green eyes narrowed in annoyance at Fred's bright grin.

George tossed Sirius the collar and leash and said with a slight cough, "You'd better put those on before he changes his mind."

Sirius unbuckled the collar and knelt next to the wolf. Harry growled at him minutely when he saw the black leather collar but suffered him to place it around his neck. Sirius buckled it loosely and snapped the black leash into place. Harry stared at the leash and whined before dropping to the floor and burying his nose in his paws, obviously pouting.

Sirius laughed softly at the picture Harry made and said, "You know the leash has to stay Harry. Don't worry, it's only for appearances."

Harry glared at the leash and stood, padding over close enough to Sirius that he didn't have to look at it. The simple fact that it was a good idea didn't mean he had to like it. He paced over to the door and yipped. The tone was obvious.

Sirius reluctantly followed. This idea still seemed like a bad one to him, there were so many things that could go wrong. He had to admit as they began to walk down Diagon Alley they made an elegant picture. The pureblood Lord and his well-behaved wolf familiar. Then there was the fact that Harry's fur wasn't exactly normal. He couldn't think of many wolves in the wild that had silver-tipped white fur.

As they continued down the Alley to the white marble building that was Gringotts Sirius began to relax. Everything was going fine and no one was paying them any attention. Sirius made his way up the stairs, Harry one or two steps ahead, ears pricked. He could hear far better than Sirius and was keeping tabs on conversation around them.

Catching the attention of one of the goblins he said quietly, "I would like to speak with Griphook, the manager of the Potter family accounts."

The goblin looked sharply at the white wolf and led them off to a side room. Sirius sat down, clasping both hands together to keep from twiddling his thumbs in nerves. It took only a few minutes for another goblin to walk into their room. He shut the door behind him and performed a bit of tricky magic to lock and ward the expansive office.

Looking directly at the wolf he said in a slightly nasal voice, "You are protected in your human form here, Harry Potter."

The dog disappeared, replaced with Sirius' love, a slightly wary expression on his thin face. "What were the spells you performed?" he asked sharply.

"Wards against eavesdroppers and locks that can resist even the spells of an Auror," Griphook replied. "You are safe in here even if another had recognized you in your Animagus form. I am surprised you remember me, I led you to your vaults only once, when you were 11."

"I remember you. I know goblins hold no love for the Ministry or Albus Dumbledore. I had a feeling I needed to come here."

"You would be right, Mr. Potter," Griphook replied. He seated himself behind the desk and said, "First of all we need to make sure that you are who you say. A drop of blood on the parchment in front of you will suffice."

A parchment had indeed appeared in front of Harry just moments ago. Taking the small dagger Griphook offered he gave his thumb a quick jab and dripped a small amount of blood onto the parchment. After a second it wrote out in red ink, _Harry James Potter. Born July 31__st__, 1980. Unregistered Animagus, Escaped convict, Azkaban registry 08911370H. Heir to Potter, Evans, Gryffindor and Slytherin estates._

Harry stared at the last two in shock. "What does it mean that I am heir to Salazar Slytherin's estates?"

"Your father was the heir of both Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor through their son Solon. Solon's bloodline is considered a myth, but it is a well-known fact to the goblins. It is where the ability of male carriers comes from, a genetic quirk Solon received from Salazar, along with the Parseltongue ability. From Godric he received the ability to communicate with both griffins and hippogriffs."

_So THAT's where I received the ability to have Pol from!_ Harry thought, surprised. "So I am heir to two of four Founders?"

"Yes. This also gives you a _huge_ status in the Ministry, Mr. Potter. You hold a total of 6 of 24 votes in the Wizengamot. Your father never reached the age where he had control of any votes; he needed to reach the age of 22. Of course, we of the goblin nation have our own ideas about what happened on October 31st, 1981."

"What do you mean?"

"Simply this, Mr. Potter. In October of 1980 your father came into Gringotts and changed his family will. Previously, a significant amount of money had been left to Peter Pettigrew and Albus Dumbledore, along with his other beneficiaries. These two were removed _completely;_ the money redistributed to Severus Snape and Nymphadora Tonks. Also, there is the fact that a Fidelius Charm has to be witnessed by a Binder. Had Dumbledore ever given you any indication that he had suspicions that Peter was a Death Eater?"

"He had mentioned it, briefly, at the end of my 3rd year," Harry said slowly.

"Albus Dumbledore was the binder for both Sirius Black," Griphook nodded at the quiet wizard, "and Peter Pettigrew. If he knew or had suspicions of Pettigrew's loyalty, why did he agree to switch?"

"I suspect that's not the total depth of his suspicious activities," Harry said flatly.

"No. He has also made significant withdrawals of funds from your family vaults. Along with withdrawals made for Pettigrew himself and one Ronald Weasley. He also created a fake marriage certificate for you and Ginerva along with guiding Molly Weasley on how to create the Amortentia and Fertility potions. I think you can probably guess at the scenario he was hoping for."

Harry clenched his fists. He could see all too clearly. "So Dumbledore considers me a threat, does he? The little pawn that started to think for himself?"

He looked at the goblin with cold green eyes. "Cut everyone but Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Andromeda Tonks and Severus Snape from my parents' wills. If the Longbottoms are present leave them alone as well. Restrict access to my vaults to myself and Sirius Black, I want our presence or a verified note required for access. Also, I want Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger and the twins Fred and George Weasley added onto _my _will, which I hope Dumbledore has not messed with."

"It is the same as it was set 2 ½ years ago, Mr. Potter. In what increments shall they be added?"

"50,000 _each_ should work, Griphook. Has Albus removed any objects or artifacts from the vaults?"

"The Sword of Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin's potion journals, your parents' wedding rings and the tomes of Slytherin and Gryffindor. He was unable to remove the wand of Salazar Slytherin or your parents' portraits."

Harry froze. "Their portraits?" he repeated in a flat tone. His eyes had darkened in his anger to a near-black. "My parents had magical portraits made?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter. It was at the urging of the goblins that they commissioned the paintings. Reportedly Dumbledore was unable to remove the wand of Salazar Slytherin due to Lily Potter's fury with him. She had expressly stated in the will that you were to go _anywhere_ but to her Muggle relatives."

"Is it possible to retrieve the items he removed without visual contact?" Sirius asked. Harry had gone silent after hearing about the warning against the Dursleys.

"Yes. As Mr. Potter lacks a wand, I can have a goblin retrieve both portraits and the Slytherin wand as well. And there is one last disturbing piece of information we have for Mr. Potter as well."

"What would that be?" Harry's voice was toneless. Only the way his eyes were glittering showed how angry he was.

"The curse scar you have, Mr. Potter. Dumbledore was correct when he told you that it cannot be removed, but it _can_ be moved to a more discreet location."

Harry was shaking in anger. The scar he'd hated his entire life, the instant recognition. Not being able to blend in and just be _Harry._ Dumbledore had _known_, had forced him into the spotlight he hated so badly. "Can you move it?" he said abruptly.

"Yes. Where would you like it moved to?"

"My ankle would work, I think. Somewhere out of sight."

"Please bare your ankle, Mr. Potter."

Harry easily stripped out of his trainers, choosing the left inside ankle. Griphook knelt and placed one long, sharp fingernail against the skin. He made one quick, short slash through the skin, making Harry hiss. A few mumbled words and he felt a sharp burning sensation in his forehead. A moment later his ankle glowed red and he watched as the scar appeared there.

Griphook straightened and said, "Mr. Potter, I would also suggest you see a hair stylist. You are well-known for the short, messy hair and a change in style along with the missing scar would confuse and deceive even those that know you very well. I will give you a Gringotts card; it works in magical shopping alleys as well as the Muggle world. I will also send a series of nutrition and health potions, they will correct much of the damage done from Azkaban and your relatives."

Sirius was astonished. He'd _never _heard of goblins helping one person so much, nor giving shrewdly intelligent advice on how to avoid capture. He stiffened when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Griphook said briskly.

Another goblin walked in with a suitcase in his hand. He set it on the counter. Griphook shrunk it down and handed it to Harry, it now fit in the palm of his hand. "This contains your parents' portraits and the wand of Salazar Slytherin. I suggest you acquire a new familiar, not only is your owl quite recognizable but she has highly sophisticated tracking charms and wards on her."

"Thank you, Griphook. May your vaults stay overflowing and your people prosper."

Griphook's eyes widened marginally and he nodded his head. "Indeed," he replied. "May your fortunes be bright and revenge swift."

Harry gave a rather nasty grin and said, "It will be, Griphook."

He handed the tiny suitcase to Sirius and changed back into his wolf form. The return to Fred and George's shop was quiet as he seethed inwardly. _You will pay, Albus. You, Ron and anyone who stands with you will pay._

**A/N:** Sorry about the long time between updates, I got hit with a _major _writer's block! It's gone now. I think I'll try to write something for _Darkest Night, Shadowed Dawn _next.


	6. Five: Changes for All

**Five**_- Changes For All_

It was about one week after the impromptu visit to Gringotts. Harry had done some scouting in the shadier districts including Knockturn Alley. All he'd been looking for was confirmation of Ron's Dark Mark. No less than four terrified individuals had confessed to seeing the red-head. Apparently he and Peter were good friends and would come into the Alley for some 'sport'. One person Harry had spoken to was a werewolf, no older than Remus. He'd been so badly injured he'd told his pack to leave him there. Harry had found him on the edge of death and spent an extra 45 minutes with the lycan, healing his injuries to the best of his abilities.

The man's condition had enraged Harry. He'd been near spitting in fury when he'd returned to Grimmauld, taking his foul temper out on Walburga when the woman had woken upon his less-than-quiet return. He'd actually shouted her into silence, which had stunned Sirius, who'd never seen his mother shut up before without having the portrait covered. In a slightly better mood Harry had described what he'd found out, in detail. Once he'd told Sirius about the lycan nothing more was needed.

Harry was currently leaning against the window, staring out onto the Muggle street below. He was scowling as he remembered exactly _why_ he was standing here, alone.

Sirius had an Order meeting to attend today, one of some importance apparently. Even though Harry's own mum probably couldn't have recognised him Sirius refused to let him come along. Suddenly he felt more sympathetic of how Sirius must have felt watching him leave Grimmauld for school during his 5th year. He felt like he was about to go stir-crazy. Buckbeak was no longer in residence; Albus had found a home for him on a hippogriff preserve in Greece.

Harry stared at his reflection in the window, still transfixed by the difference styling his hair and adding a few highlights could make. Instead of the short, messy hair he'd stared at for 20 years it was longer and had straightened out, spiky tips just touching the base of his earlobes. His bangs were long and swept over the edge of his right eye. He had decided on highlights in dark blue and silver. The silver gave him a refined, elegant maturity and the dark blue added depth to his inky black hair.

Salazar Slytherin's wand rested in a holster on his left wrist. Harry had yet to open the briefcase and resize his parents' portraits. He wanted the people he trusted in the Order there. He was not too proud to admit he was scared about what his parents would say to his choices in life. Above all, he just wanted to hear them say they were happy for him, that they still loved and approved.

His thoughts were disrupted by a sudden flare of magic. It was powerful but non-intrusive. Thus it touched and flowed through the wards surrounding Grimmauld Place. Harry stared in shock at the glowing white creature. It was a Patronus, nothing new. His shock and growing fear was caused by the recognition of _whom_ this Patronus belonged to. It was a beautiful lynx, mirroring the caster's Animagus form. _Andromeda's_ Animagus form, to be precise.

The Patronus spoke in a raspy, painful voice that Harry could barely understand. _"She…attacked. No…way..to avoid her. I'm..so…sorry, Harry. I…tried..to stop her. Bellatrix has… Polaris. She said you w-would know where to… meet her."_

The Patronus disappeared. Harry dropped to his knees, pain flaring in his chest. That _bitch _had his son, had taken him _there._ Of course Harry knew where she'd gone, there was only one place. The Veil room at the Department of Mysteries. The place where he'd nearly lost Sirius to his own reckless actions.

It was a _very_ good thing the Ministry was closed now. Harry wouldn't have cared if he'd had to go through the entire Auror Department to get to his son and Bellatrix Lestrange.

Tears in his eyes, he let go finally. "_NOOOOOOO!"_

Shoving himself to his feet he grabbed a cloak off the hat rack and left Grimmauld Place. He was _not_ going to let his 2 ½ year old son suffer any longer than necessary.

Sirius sat in a chair, tilting it back onto the rear legs just to annoy Molly Weasley. He was bored, the Order meeting was exceptionally dull. A glance to his right provided him with some amusement as he watched Remus try and fail to suppress a jaw-cracking yawn. Moony caught his gaze and rolled amber eyes toward Albus, who was going on and on about some trivial matter.

He would reflect later that boredom would have been preferable to the intense terror and fear of the next hour. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Alastor's glass eye roll to look through the back of his head. It made him more than a little queasy to stare at a blank white ball and know the electric blue eye was looking through the back of his skull.

"Patronus approaching, Dumbledore," he growled.

The Order members present stiffened. A Patronus was only used in the Order to ward off Dementors or send an emergency message. A Patronus _never _meant good news.

Narcissa's eyes widened in fear when she saw the shape. "Andra's lynx," she whispered, terrified.

"_I've been attacked by Bellatrix. Ted's dead,"_ Tonks' eyes brightened with tears, "_I couldn't hold her off. Please send Sirius, Cissa, Remus and Severus. I have…important information to pass on to somebody."_

Sirius was on his feet in an instant. "Albus?" he said sharply.

"Go," Albus confirmed.

Sirius was out the door, headed for the front doors. To say he was pissed off was an understatement. Bellatrix had attacked her own _SISTER,_ her own bloody sister! From the weak sound of Andromeda's voice he feared the worst, though he was remaining stubbornly optimistic until he saw her with his own eyes.

Once the four were clear of the front wards they Apparated. Andromeda's house was a mess; fire was burning steadily through the half that hadn't collapsed. Sirius glared balefully at the glowing Dark Mark, resisting the urge to growl in doglike fury. Remus stood to his immediate left and the wolf _did _growl, the enraged snarl of a threatened Alpha.

Narcissa started to cry. He realised why when he looked down. They'd concentrated so hard on Andromeda that they'd Apparated right to her side. Sirius' grey eyes went dull; he could see she was dying. She'd been hit with multiple Cutting Curses and what appeared to be a few rounds of Cruciatus as well.

Narcissa knelt by her sister's side and said softly, "Andra?"

Dark eyes landed on Narcissa with effort. After a moment she rasped, "Bellatrix found out, Cissa. Take the bracelet; you'll need it more than me. Tell Harry I'm sorry."

Everyone besides Narcissa jumped. _What does she mean by that?_ Sirius was confused, when had Harry talked to Andromeda?

"_NO!_ Andra, it was NOT your fault that bitch found where we'd hid him! Don't you dare take the blame for this. What did she say when she took him?"

"I sent Harry a message as well," Andromeda fretted. "Bellatrix said that Harry would know where to meet her. She sounded as if it were familiar to them both."

Severus paled. When Narcissa shot him a glance he shook his head and knelt next to Andromeda as well. "Andromeda, its Severus. I have a Dreamless Sleep potion here. It will take away your pain."

Andromeda looked at Sirius and whispered, "Take care of him Sirius. He has the most wonderful personality."

When Remus shot him an inquiring glance he shrugged. Sirius had _no_ idea who Andromeda was talking about.

"I wish I could have seen your face when you met him, Siri," Andromeda whispered. Her eyes closed and she let go of one last shuddering breath before she relaxed completely, hand falling from Narcissa's grasp.

Narcissa brushed tears from her eyes and straightened. Looking at Severus she said sharply, "What were you thinking of?"

"The only place where Harry and Bellatrix have come face to face is the Department of Mysteries, the Veil Room to be precise. If she wanted to lure him somewhere secluded, that would be the ideal spot."

Sirius blanched. "He went to the _Ministry of Magic?_"

"When did you plan on telling us you've seen him?" Remus asked quietly.

"Today, actually," he waved it off. "But there's a more pressing matter. How would Bellatrix manage to provoke Harry into meeting her at the Ministry of all places?"

Narcissa waved them into a tighter circle with an impatient hand. She held the bracelet Andromeda had handed her in her open hand. It was platinum, with a Grim, an eight-point star and a wolf.

"If you're right about the Department of Mysteries the amethyst in the center of the star will glow purple when we reach the Ministry," she said briskly to Severus.

"Narcissa," Remus said slowly, thinking, "who else was here besides Andromeda and Ted?"

"Well done," she said quietly. "I've known all along that Harry couldn't have killed Ginerva Weasley. I had this bracelet and the matching necklace made 2 ½ years ago. The necklace has a passive Tracking Charm on it. The charm will lead us straight to the other person who was living here, a 2 ½ year old boy named Polaris. Polaris Sirius Black."

Sirius froze. Narcissa looked almost apologetic. "This is _not_ the way Harry intended on telling you about your son, Sirius. Polaris was born February 14th, 2002; you share a birthday with your son. He was born in Azkaban prison. Had the Aurors done _any_ sort of investigation before his _trial,_ they would have known the area Ginny was killed in was warded against entrance for those expecting a child. Harry would have been 2 months pregnant at the time, there was no _way_ he could have killed the girl. Harry never brought up his pregnancy at the trial because he was afraid of _exactly_ what is happening right now."

"Now Bellatrix has him?" Sirius croaked. Clearing his throat he looked up and stared into his cousin's eyes. His own eyes were the color of steel.

"What are we waiting for?"


	7. Six: Daddy?

**A/N:**** Here we go! A nice intense chapter with a very fluffy middle and end. Sirius finally meets Polaris, hence the title. I love writing Polaris, he's too adorable!**

**Six**_- Daddy?_

Polaris was _terrified._ A scary lady had hurt Aunt Andra and Uncle Ted before taking him away. He didn't like the room he was in, there was a Veil in the middle of it that shifted in an invisible wind and he was sure he could hear voices behind it. They were whispering things; things he couldn't understand but _knew_ were bad. He shivered and wrapped his arms around his middle, biting his lower lip and watching the Veil with scared silvery-green eyes.

The lady had tied a rope around his ankles; the rope was tied to a ring she'd made appear in the ground. It was tied too tightly for him to wriggle out; the rough rope was beginning to bruise his sensitive skin. He was trying desperately not to cry, but pearly tears were sliding down his face anyway. He wanted his Papa! The wild-haired lady scared him, she was mean as well.

He heard a door click and he spun in that direction, heart pounding wildly. He pressed his small body back into the wall when he saw _her_ approaching. He still didn't know who she was, but she was a bad woman. She had a wand like Aunt Andra, but she hurt people with hers. He didn't like her voice either; she talked to him as if he were a little baby.

"Let me go!" he cried out to her, upset. "Let go! I want papa!"

"Shut up," she snarled. "If you're lucky he's on his way here to get you right now."

"Don't!"

_CRACK!_ Polaris' lower lip began to tremble as he raised one hand to the cheek she'd slapped. "You hit me," he whispered in a trembling voice. "You bad lady!"

"And you're a spoiled brat," she sneered at him.

"I NOT a brat!" Polaris didn't know what 'spoiled' meant, but he did know what a brat was.

"Bellatrix!" A voice shouted. "You will not hurt my son again."

The lady spun and Polaris' eyes widened in joy. "Papa!"

"Are you okay, little star?" his papa asked.

"Cheek and rope hurt, papa."

"How dare you?" his papa snarled at her. "How dare you harm your own cousin?"

"That little brat is not part of my family!" she shrieked at him. "Nor will he ever be, as long as HIS will survives!"

"Voldemort will die and everything he stands for will be demolished," Polaris' papa said coldly.

"We'll see," Bellatrix sneered, firing off a curse at Harry.

Sirius appeared outside the Ministry of Magic with a loud _crack._ He was surprised he hadn't splinched himself, his mind was still reeling in shock. _I have a son… I'm a daddy… Oh Merlin, if Bella has hurt my son…_

His fingers tightened down on his wand and he waited impatiently for the others to show. Narcissa appeared right next to him and the bracelet in her hand began to glow. Polaris was here, which meant Harry was here also. When Remus and Sirius had joined them they entered the Ministry, alert for any traps or remaining guards.

Their way was clear all the way to the Department of Mysteries. Sirius felt a chill go down his spine as he stared at the door, remembering the last time he'd been here. He'd almost gone through the Veil; Remus had risked his life to shove him out of the way of Bella's curse. Now they had to go _back_ to that room, because that _bitch_ had taken his son down there.

They moved through the dark rooms quietly, darting down a hallway that would bring them to the Veil. Remus ducked suddenly and a red curse split the stone behind his head. "Um, watch out?" he offered sheepishly.

Severus snorted and shook his head, creeping into the room. Sirius followed, Narcissa right behind him. The air was illuminated with different colors from the spells being fired off in rapid succession by two figures. One was Bellatrix, grinning madly as she fired off curse after curse. Severus swore at the sight of the witch, earning him a shocked look from his lover.

The other was Harry, green eyes fixed in determination. Narcissa gestured to Sirius, who crept over to his cousin. "Come with me," she whispered. "Now is the time to find Polaris, while Harry has her distracted."

Part of him objected to leaving Harry fighting Bellatrix on his own, but the larger part told him he was being an idiot. Harry was clearly holding his own and would continue to do so for the few minutes it took to track down his son. There was also the small, curious part of him that wanted to see the little boy he had fathered almost three years ago.

So he nodded sharply and followed Narcissa around the edge of the room, keeping to the shadows. Directly behind Bellatrix, cowering against the wall, was a small form. Polaris was trembling like a leaf and there was a rope around his small ankles. Narcissa crept forward and severed the rope, untying it with a flick of her wand.

Sirius crept forward just as a small face lifted up. Their eyes met and Sirius froze in shock. He was looking into very beautiful silvery-green eyes framed by long black lashes. Polaris' facial structure was almost an exact replica of the face he saw in the mirror every morning. His jaw was a bit softer and his lips a bit fuller, other than that he could have been Sirius' double as a child.

Polaris' eyes widened after a minute and he said softly, "Daddy?"

Sirius felt like he was going to choke on the lump of emotion in his throat at the single word that sweet voice said. Swallowing hard he said, "Hello little star."

Polaris cocked his head to one side, a gesture that made Narcissa hide a giggle. The number of times she'd seen Sirius do the exact same thing… "Papa calls me that too. Why?"

"It's your name, little one. Polaris is the North Star, the guide."

An errant spell hit the wall not four feet from them, showering Polaris' fine black hair in dust and rubble. The little boy flinched and Sirius instinctively gathered him into his arms. He resisted a growl of anger when he saw the bruise forming on Polaris' small cheek, instead glaring at Bellatrix's back. A loud _crack_ sounded as another spell hit nearby and Polaris buried his head into Sirius' shoulder, whimpering a little.

They made their way cautiously back over to Severus and Remus. Remus looked over and blinked in surprise when he met the eyes of what appeared to be a mini-Sirius at quick glance. But the little boy clung to the form of a very adult Sirius Black, so this had to be little Polaris.

To say that Remus was shocked when he heard Sirius had a son was an understatement. Sirius looked like a Bludger had hit the back of his head, so he didn't feel annoyed with his friend. Looking at the careful, protective way Sirius held the small boy he couldn't help but smile. Sirius would be a very good parent.

To get Harry's attention Severus fired a curse at Bellatrix. Harry jerked backward in surprise and looked over. His eyes widened and then he saw Polaris in Sirius' arms. Turning a vicious grin to Bellatrix he said, "You lose this time, Bella. Next time it might be fatal."

The woman looked over and saw Polaris safe in his father's arms. She shrieked in fury and cast a spell in Sirius' direction. Sirius immediately ducked and turned toward the brick wall. Hot air rippled through Polaris' dark hair and he cried out slightly in fear. The spell impacted on the wall behind where Remus had been standing just seconds before, shattering stone and leaving a half-foot deep hole in the wall.

When Sirius looked up again, grey eyes blazing, the witch was gone. Instead, a very nervous and anxious Harry stood in front of him. Recognizing the expression, he reluctantly handed over the warm presence of his son. Harry buried his face in Pol's black hair, though Sirius could see glistening tears running down his cheeks. It hit him quite firmly then, as he watched his beloved cry in relief.

This was his child, his _family._ There was nothing in this world that meant more to him and he would do _anything_ to protect them. Looking up he said to Narcissa quietly, "How do you suggest we leave here?"

She thought for a moment and said, "Portkey. I can key the bracelet as a one-time use portkey to anywhere."

"The park across from Grimmauld should work, Cissa," Severus said briskly. "I assume that's where Harry's been staying?"

"You assume correctly," Sirius replied. He stepped over to where he was standing behind Harry and wrapped an arm around his waist. Harry looked up, the only evidence he'd been crying was the faint moisture still left on his cheeks.

"We're going to Portkey, baby," he said softly. Harry grimaced.

"Hang on, little star," Harry said to Polaris. "We're going to take a fast trip, but you're safe, I promise."

Polaris nodded and clung to Harry tightly. Narcissa held out the bracelet and Harry touched it with a single finger. Sirius extended his other arm, leaving the one wrapped around Harry's warm waist. He knew how much Harry hated Portkeys.

"Ready? 5..4..3..2..1.._portus!"_

Sirius tiredly headed for his and Harry's room. He was exhausted and the terror and shock of the past couple hours didn't help. He'd just finished a fire-call to Albus and letting him know that Andromeda was dead, the result of a random attack by Death Eaters.

He'd hated belittling his favourite cousin's death that way, but Albus couldn't find out about Polaris. Or the fact that Andra had been in contact with Harry since he'd broken out of Azkaban. His small family was too important to risk that way. He didn't envy the Headmaster the task of telling Tonks that her mum and father were both dead.

Severus and Remus had decided to stay the night. Narcissa was returning to the Manor, though she'd asked if she could bring Draco and Hermione tomorrow to see Harry and meet Polaris. Sirius had readily agreed, knowing he would have plenty of time to get to know his tiny son. A smile crossed his lips, he could get used to thinking that word. Son, family, all his hopes and dreams had become a reality in a single evening.

He opened the bedroom door quietly, slipping in and shutting it without a sound. He turned his head toward the bed and froze, smiling at the picture before his eyes.

Polaris was asleep, tiny body dwarfed by one of Harry's sleep shirts, which was large even when shrunk down a bit. Harry was awake, lying back on the pillows. He was shirtless, wearing a pair of silk sleep trousers. Pol was curled up on top of him, wrapped snuggly in his papa's arms. Harry was running slender fingers through soft black hair, smiling absently. There was still grief in his green eyes; he'd taken the death of Andromeda hard.

He shed his own shirt and trousers, sliding into a pair of sleepwear like Harry. He crawled in carefully, trying not to disturb the sleeping boy. He pulled the duvet up over their bodies and slipped one arm around Harry's waist, bringing him and Polaris closer. Sirius was lying on his side, looking down at Harry's distraught face.

He kissed him gently on the forehead and waited for Harry to speak.

"It's my fault she's dead," Harry whispered. "If I hadn't asked it of Narcissa, she would have taken Polaris elsewhere."

"Harry," he spoke softly and firmly, "Andra's death was _not_ your fault. We had no way of knowing Bella would go after her, Polaris had been with her for 2 ½ years. It's all right to grieve for her, but _don't_ take the responsibility that lies with Bellatrix."

After a long moment, Harry spoke again. "I was two months pregnant when the Aurors arrested me. I'd just found out the previous day, I'd planned on telling you that evening. I didn't want to bring up the baby at the trial because I knew he'd be a target in the war. I didn't expect it to go so far downhill as it did."

He took a deep breath and continued. "When they announced the sentencing I was _terrified, _Siri. Not for myself, but for the baby. I didn't know how he would survive another 7 months in Azkaban. When Molly Weasley tore into me I went numb. I couldn't believe someone whom I'd trusted and admired could turn on me so completely."

"Narcissa figured it out," he said. "I don't know how, but after I'd been in there 3 months she came and visited me. I gave her my reasons on not mentioning the baby and she agreed. She also agreed to deliver Polaris and take him out of the prison."

He gave a slightly watery smile. "Polaris was born on your birthday, Siri. He was so small and beautiful. I knew instantly what I wanted to name him. We decided he couldn't remain in the prison long and Narcissa left for the night. She was the one who mentioned Andromeda when she came the next day. That was the hardest thing I'd ever done, Siri. I had to give Narcissa our newborn son and let her take him from me, unaware of whether or not I'd ever see him again."

Harry's lips trembled and Sirius pressed a deep kiss to those lips, pouring love, pride, strength and possessive protection into the kiss. "I wanted to have Narcissa bring him to you, Siri. But Narcissa said that wasn't a good idea, she said you'd gotten worse after the trial. I'm sorry, Siri."

"For what?" Sirius asked voice husky.

"For not having Narcissa even tell you about him, for not telling you myself when you first came to Grimmauld."

"You did what was necessary to protect our son, Harry. Don't ever apologise for that. Now I've met him and we're together and I can honestly say that I've _never_ felt this happy before. I'm laying here, a free man, with the love of my life and the child he carried, a child who bears my name. I love you, Harry and there's _nothing_ I won't do to protect you and our little guiding star."

Sirius carefully changed positions so that Harry was resting against his shoulder and encased in his firm arms. Harry drifted off first, warm breath fluttering against his neck. Sirius lay there for a long time, looking at Harry and his sleeping son with a content expression on his face. He smiled, pressed a soft kiss to his son's silky hair and followed his love and child into a peaceful sleep.


	8. Seven: Introductions

**A/N:**** Polaris meets Harry's friends. A cute little chapter with some Siri/Pol interaction. I would have to say that my two favorite OC's would have to be Polaris and Cadfael from **_**Song of the Moon.**_** As always, read and review! Thanks**

**Seven**_-Introductions_

When Sirius woke, he was quite warm. After a second he realised why and grinned hugely. Harry was still sound asleep next to him, an arm wrapped around his waist. Little Polaris, however, had somehow ended up snuggled next to his shoulder. Sirius' soft breathing ruffled fine black hair and his arm had long since gone to sleep. He most certainly didn't mind.

Studying the little boy more carefully he could easily see which features Pol had gotten from him. They composed the great majority of the slender, aristocratic face. Brow, nose, shape of the eyes, even the 2-year-old's long bones promised a height similar to his own. From Harry he'd received the softer jaw, long lashes and creamy complexion.

As Sirius could see no way of extricating himself from the pair without waking Polaris he relaxed and gazed blearily through the curtains at the sunlight beginning to pour through the large French doors. He frowned for a moment, realising he'd have to put a locking charm on the doors soon. Knowing the little boy next to him he'd most likely find out how to open them soon.

There was a faint, fluttery motion against his skin and he turned away from the doors, distracted. Polaris sleepily opened grey-green eyes and blinked. Sirius watched his face as he looked around the room, taking in the boy's quiet expression. Eventually Pol turned to him and beamed brightly, giving him a warm hug.

Sirius chuckled and whispered, "Morning, little star."

"M'rning," Pol mumbled.

Sirius sat up carefully, trying not to disturb Harry. Turning to Polaris he murmured, "Do you want to go downstairs, Pol?"

Pol nodded. Sirius gestured lightly to the boy and resisted grinning in pleasure when he showed no hesitation and bounded lightly into his arms. Polaris was such a small weight that he didn't even jolt Harry, who flipped onto his back and mumbled incoherently.

Sirius exited the bedroom and padded noiselessly down the hallway, headed for the stairs. He could hear voices downstairs, most likely Severus and Remus. That pair got up at a ridiculous hour. Sirius froze at the top of the stairs. His wand was in the bedroom and his mother's portrait was uncovered. He gritted his teeth and set off down the stairs, chatting quietly to Pol, who seemed content to snuggle and listen to his voice.

He was almost successful, having reached the hallway and was about to disappear around the corner when his mother's imperious voice demanded, "Who is that?"

He growled under his breath and turned to the woman. With restrained politeness he said, "Mother, this is my son Polaris Sirius. Little star, this is your grandmother Walburga Black."

Polaris' grey-green eyes met Walburga's astonished dark grey ones and he said shyly, "Hi."

"Hello young man," she replied kindly, to which Sirius near dropped Polaris in shock. "How old are you?"

"A'most three," Polaris mumbled, still shy.

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Polaris. You'll come by and say hello sometimes, won't you?"

Polaris thought for a moment, crinkling his nose slightly. Sirius resisted a laugh; he'd received that habit from Harry. "Yes."

"Good," she said, still speaking nicely to Polaris. "Sirius, make sure and introduce him to Kreacher."

"Keech?" Pol said, puzzled.

Sirius resisted a snort of laughter at his son's pronunciation of the dour house-elf's name and said, "You'll meet him later, Pol. Come on buddy, are you hungry?"

Pol nodded eagerly. Sirius chuckled and mindlessly agreed, still reeling over the way his mother had spoken to Polaris. _He's a charismatic little thing, I guess._

Remus sat in the dining room of Grimmauld, hands wrapped around a mug of tea. Severus sat next to him, perusing the paper and sipping from a cup of hot, dark coffee. The stuff was a great deal like Severus, capable of being dark and bitter. For the most part, the spy's temper had improved to where his previous acerbic comments were almost unheard. He was still snarky and sarcastic, but Remus liked that about his lover.

He could hear voices in the hall, to his shock he recognized Walburga Black, the woman was talking in a normal tone of voice instead of shrieking at the top of her lungs. The other, to his even greater shock, was Sirius. Convinced he was hearing things, he went back to his tea, eggs and toast.

He looked up a few minutes later to the sight of Sirius, carrying a quiet, still sleepy Polaris. He set the small boy on a chair and said softly, "Stay still, Pol. We don't want you to fall off the chair, okay?"

Pol nodded and sat down. Remus almost laughed, sitting the boy's grey-green eyes just cleared the top of the table. He heard a quiet snort next to him and turned to see Sev's black eyes discreetly watching Polaris. Severus flicked his wand and Pol's chair shot up, stopping level with the boy's waist. Another flick conjured arms on the chair to prevent him from toppling from the height.

Polaris looked directly at Severus and beamed in wordless thanks. There was a faint bit of laughter in his black eyes when he nodded back. The little boy mumbled, "T'ank you."

"You're quite welcome, Polaris."

Sirius returned from the kitchen and snorted at Pol's chair. He set a small glass of milk and a bowl of what looked like porridge in front of the boy and handed him a small spoon. He watched Pol for a moment, making sure the boy could handle the spoon. He disappeared back into the kitchen and returned with a plate identical to Remus'.

Slipping into a seat he caught Remus watching him and grinned. "Seems Polaris and my mother get along well. She was talking to him in the hallway a moment ago."

"So I wasn't mishearing things when I realised she wasn't screeching at the top of her painted lungs?" Remus asked dryly.

"Apparently not," he replied, watching Pol out of the corner of his eyes as he happily devoured his breakfast.

By the time Harry walked into the room, hair in complete disarray, Polaris had finished his breakfast and was cuddled in Sirius' lap as the latter spoke to Remus about inconsequential things, occasionally taking a sip of his tea. His green eyes sparkled with happiness as he said, "Morning."

"Good morning, Harry. Did you sleep well?" Remus asked.

Harry nodded, trying and failing to suppress a yawn. "Hello little star," he said to Pol once he stopped yawning.

"M'rning. La'y say hi to you?"

"What Pol?" Harry asked.

"I think he was asking if my mother said hello to you," Sirius translated. "She gets along well with Pol, even asked him to come and say hello once in a while."

Harry's jaw dropped. "You're kidding!"

"No I'm not," Sirius answered. "She was perfectly civil and polite."

"Andra say she's me'n."

This time Harry translated without help. "She can be mean, Pol. I'm glad she likes you though."

"Certainly makes things easier," Sirius replied, ignoring the soft tone when Pol spoke about Andromeda. His cousins' death was still a sore spot, especially considering her murderer had escaped.

"I wonder what time Narcissa, Draco and Hermione are coming?" Harry said thoughtfully.

"I don't know but I'd better take Polaris upstairs and see if I can find some clothes for him. Come on buddy," Sirius spoke to Pol, wrapping an arm around the boy and standing, "let's go get some clothes for you, huh?"

Pol grumbled slightly at the shift from his comfortable position and nodded.

Harry watched them walk out of the room and turned to Remus with a smile. "They get along well, don't they?"

"Very," Remus agreed. "I think Sirius was always meant to be good at things like this, however. He told me himself he always enjoyed watching little kids."

Severus smirked. "With his childlike level of maturity and boundless energy, Polaris may have met his match in Sirius."

Harry snorted and shook his head with a smile at the mental imagery.

Hermione Granger stood outside Grimmauld Place, mind still whirling with the shock she'd received not two hours earlier from Narcissa Malfoy. Looking sideways at her boyfriend Draco she could see he was nearly as rattled as she was underneath his cool exterior. They had ever right to be shocked, there had been more than a few surprises revealed in such a short amount of time.

For Hermione, the first and greatest shock was the revelation that Harry was _gay _in the first place. He'd never given any indication of it in school, even dated a couple girls from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff for a while. Any _uh_- liaisons during school had been well concealed. She wasn't surprised at the way he'd avoided revealing this, however. Harry had always been firmly against having his life in the public eye at every moment.

Then there was the fact he'd been dating Sirius since the end of 6th year. Of all the people possible, Sirius hadn't even been a possibility in her mind. It was a weird idea, considering Sirius had gone to school with Harry's parents and had been his godfather. Narcissa had cleared up that little issue early on in their conversation, reminding Hermione that the Ministry had ruled Sirius an _unfit guardian _just after he'd been sentenced to Azkaban.

They'd hidden it well, which was a good thing considering Harry had been underage and it could have put Sirius right back in Azkaban. After those two shocks, the last one had been a fairly pleasant one. Sirius and Harry had a 2 ½ year old son, named Polaris. The little boy had been born in Azkaban and snuck out by Narcissa. Polaris' very presence ruled out the possibility that Harry had killed Ginny, but Hermione had firmly believed in his innocence from day one.

Ron had yelled at her when she'd first voiced the opinion, reminding her of all the dangerous things Harry had gotten them involved in, that he was a Parselmouth, even the visions he received through his scar. Hermione had tartly replied that the first had been their choice, the second had ended the terror of the Chamber of Secrets and if not for the third, Ron's own father would be dead.

They'd been in such a vicious argument that they neither cared nor noticed the fact they were arguing right in front of the rest of the Order and the Malfoy family. In the end Hermione had lost her temper with Ron and told him that if he was going to continue making biased judgments he could consider himself an ex-friend of both Harry _and_ herself and their relationship was over. Then she'd hit him with a Blasting hex that had thrown him into the opposite wall. Ron had never been very good at dueling.

Two weeks later, Draco had tentatively apologised for his actions regarding Hermione and a budding friendship had formed. It had taken another three months for Draco to ask her out to dinner. Shocked, she'd agreed and found out that she had quite a few interests in common with the intelligent pureblood. Narcissa openly encouraged their relationship and Lucius was coming around to the idea, impressed with her power levels and intelligence.

Narcissa led the way into Grimmauld, heading for the small living room. Remus and Severus were sitting side-by-side; Severus had his nose buried in a Potions journal as was normal. Hermione took in Harry's changed appearance and lack of scar with a blink of surprise, though she was happy to note he wasn't as thin as she'd expected.

At the sight of the two people on the floor she covered her mouth to muffle a soft 'aww.' Sirius was reclined on the floor in a pale blue button-down shirt and black jeans, a brightly coloured block in one hand. Stacking the blocks with every evidence of concentration was a little boy with silky black hair and creamy skin, wearing a tiny pair of blue jeans and bright red t-shirt with a cute yellow cartoon lion on the front.

Done with the block, he cocked his head to side and considered it for a moment. The expression was so familiar she heard Draco suppress a laugh at the image. Little Polaris walked over to Sirius and sat down on his lap, a bright, infectious grin on his small face. Narcissa giggled and he looked in their direction, blinking owlishly in surprise.

Harry looked up as well and grinned in Narcissa's direction, standing up and walking over to give the older woman a hug in greeting. "Cissa, you made it. You didn't have too much trouble getting away from Albus I hope."

"He's gone back to the school for a while, so the only thing we had to worry about was Molly Weasley."

Harry turned to her, a guarded expression on his face. He was clearly expecting the worst. Hermione set him at ease, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a hard, firm hug. "Oh Harry, I'm so glad you're out of there! I never believed it for a _second._ Neither did the twins. Ronald was being such a jerk that I yelled at him in front of the whole Order and hit him with a Blasting hex!"

Harry laughed and teased, "Temper, Hermione. You're always telling me to watch mine, at least I don't go around hitting idiots with hexes."

He regarded Draco for a long moment and offered a hand. "Draco."

Hermione held her breath. She was probably the only person there who understood the meaning behind the gesture, besides the two involved. Draco's eyes flashed in recognition. Silvery-grey regarded green for a long moment and Draco finally took the extended hand. "Harry."

Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief and turned to Polaris, who was watching them curiously.

Crouching down to the boy's height so she was less frightening she said, "Hi. My name's Hermione, what's yours?"

"Pol," he replied with a shy smile. "Hemioe?"

She heard Harry's snort of laughter at the attempt and smiled at Polaris. "That's pretty close, Pol."

Sirius snickered. "He calls Remus 'Remy'. And I think Pol is the only one besides Remus who calls Severus 'Sev'."

Draco also snickered. "I used to call him that too, when I was little," he informed Pol. "My name's Draco."

Polaris thought for a long moment and said, "Draco."

They blinked at the perfect pronunciation and Draco grinned. "Yeah, that's me."

"This is Narcissa, Polaris," Sirius introduced the tall woman to Pol. Polaris beamed up at her and said, "Ciss. Andra l'ke you."

Narcissa gave Polaris a sad smile and said, "Close enough, little one. Andra was my sister. I like her too."

Polaris frowned, an adorable expression on his small face. "Why sad?" he asked Narcissa.

"I'm not sad, Polaris," she reassured the little boy. "Did you know I saw you once before?"

Pol shook his head, eyes wide.

"You were very little," she said with a smile. "I brought you to Andra."

He beamed at her. "T'ank you. I l've Andra."

Narcissa forced back what was probably a large lump in her throat and said, "I'm sure she loves you too, Polaris."

They all sat down and settled into a warm, comfortable conversation, Hermione happily settling on the floor and assisting Pol in his building. He was a sweet little guy and seemed to have Sirius' boundless cheery nature and energy. She was very happy to have been given the opportunity to meet him and vowed that she would help protect Pol and his parents with everything she had.

They deserved some happiness in their lives finally.

**A/N:** Here's a nice, long update. Eight pages on Word with normal layout. You can tell who picked out Pol's shirt, even if I hadn't said it was Sirius. Gryffindor all the way for him! I hope you like Pol in this chapter, getting the speech patterns of a 2 year old is difficult. I'm pretty sure I remember this being about right from my nieces and nephews though. 


	9. Eight: Meet the Parents

**A/N:**** I couldn't resist the chapter title. Harry finally sees the portraits of his parents, along with the group from last chapter.**

**Eight-** _Meet the Parents_

Polaris had just been laid down for a nap when Harry suggested they all needed a light lunch. Narcissa agreed and Sirius summoned Kreacher, asking him for a lunch for seven. It was midway through his sandwich that Harry remembered his parents' portraits. Swallowing the suddenly dry bite down he said quietly, "I was able to visit Gringotts a week or so ago and it turned out that my parents had portraits made. I have yet to resize them, would you be interested in talking to them?"

Five stunned faces met his and Sirius groaned sheepishly. "I forgot about them as well, Harry. They're not going to be happy about being left in that suitcase for this long."

Harry drew his wand and murmured, "_Accio suitcase!"_

The plain leather case was still small enough to attach to a keychain. He laid it on an open part of the table and tapped it with a quiet, "_Finite."_

It resized instantly, stopping at about the same size as most portraits Harry had seen in the magical world. He opened it with trepidation, suddenly nervous about what his parents would say. Sirius covered one of his hands with his much larger one and quirked a small, reassuring smile. Harry relaxed and hung the two momentarily empty frames on the wall.

The background picture of one looked like a library and Harry couldn't help but think that was his mum's. Lily was an academic; she would have wanted to be portrayed that way even after her death. James' was the open field at Hogwarts with the Black Lake and a single tree in the background. Strangely, that fit his father to a tee according to what he knew. James would rather have been caught dead, excusing the expression, than painted in a library or school background.

Harry finished his sandwich and said timidly to Hermione, "Do you think they're just out of their frames?"

"I think so, Harry," she said, thinking. "If I remember reading correctly in _A History of Magical Portraiture _all you have to do to notify them of the change is knock on the wood frame."

They all chuckled slightly and Draco murmured with a grin, "Ever the bookworm."

Harry reached out and tapped the edge of Lily's frame with trembling fingers. The moment he did so he stepped back and sat down next to Sirius at the now-cleared table. It took a couple of minutes, then Remus tilted his head to the side, listening. Harry wasn't surprised; Remus had the most sensitive ears of the group. He was surprised when Remus began chuckling softly.

"What?" Sirius asked, curious.

"You'll hear," Remus replied in amusement.

After a moment they _could_ hear the pair. Lily was speaking, exasperation evident in her voice. "James, I _told _you, I thought I heard someone knock on the frame!"

"Lils," James' voice sounded equal parts hopeful and amused, "these portraits have been sitting in a vault for whoever knows how long. I think you just heard something else. After all, I don't hear it anymore."

Lily just replied with an audible sigh of annoyance. Sirius snickered from next to Harry and murmured in his ear, "It doesn't sound like they've changed at all."

A black-haired wizard with hazel eyes and square glasses strolled into the grassy field and said, "See Lily, I was-" he spotted the group of people and yelped, "_Merlin, _you were right!"

Outright laughter at James' expense greeted Lily as she stepped into her library. "Of course I was right," she said sweetly.

She greeted them all with a smile. "Hello! It's nice to finally be out of that vault." She spotted Remus and blinked. "Is that you, Remus?"

"Hi Lily," Remus grinned. "I was listening to your conversation. Doesn't sound like much has changed."

She pulled a face. "Tell me about it. Do you know how many times I've hexed him for various things while we were in that vault, sometimes out of sheer boredom?"

Severus snickered. "And just what are you snickering about, Sev?" She shot pointedly. "Glad to see you finally stopped being an idiot about Remus."

Had Harry not been there, he would have never believed anyone could make Severus blush so easily. "Thanks Lily," he grouched.

"You're welcome," She replied sweetly. "Someone's got to keep you in line."

James, meanwhile, had been scanning the faces. When he saw Sirius he beamed brightly and said, "Hey Padfoot! I've missed seeing your face around. How are you, old friend?"

Sirius opened his mouth to reply and Lily interrupted with, "Speaking of old, what year is it?"

Looking around at their suddenly sad faces she said, "Oh dear… It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It's July of 2003," Sirius said softly. There was no easy way to break it to the two of them.

James had a rather stunned look on his face. Looking closer at Sirius he murmured, "22 years? Please tell me Voldemort's dead at least?"

"He lost his body when he attacked you two, but he gained it back in 1994," Severus replied somberly.

"Damn," James cursed. "How bad is it compared to when we were alive?"

Remus swallowed slowly before replying, "It's worse. We're thinking about going against Albus as well."

"Why would you fight Albus?" Lily asked, more like whispered.

"Because of the way he messed my life up for his own goals," Harry spoke up, getting up and leaning against the edge of the table.

Lily looked at him for a moment; saw the bright, familiar green eyes and her own widened joyously. "_Harry?_"

James was gazing at him hungrily as well as he nodded. "Hello mum, dad."

"You look wonderful, Harry," she whispered. "I've missed you so much."

Harry's throat tightened and he smiled, unable to speak past the lump in his throat.

James grinned at his son and then he frowned, thinking. "Severus, you said that Voldemort lost his body the night he attacked us. How?"

"After he killed mum," Harry answered, drawing his parent's gazes, "he turned his wand on me."

"But you're alive," Lily murmured.

Harry sighed heavily. This was far hard to talk about when looking at his parents. "Because you shielded me when you didn't have to, the Killing Curse he cast rebounded back onto him. Somehow, he was merely forced from his corporeal body rather than being killed outright. I received a lightning bolt scar on my forehead and the title of 'Boy-Who-Lived' in exchange for becoming an orphan," his voice was bitter.

"For ten years I wondered what the scar was from as I eked out my existence with the Dursleys, ignorant of magic and the fact that mine was a household name. Then Hagrid came with my letter and there I was, famous for surviving the attack that killed my parents."

"Hang on," Lily's voice was an irritated hiss. James looked murderous as well. "Did you say _Dursley,_ as in Vernon and _Petunia _Dursley?"

"Yes," Harry replied.

"_I put in our will that you were NEVER supposed to set FOOT there!"_ Lily shrieked. Everyone winced reflexively, Remus had covered his ears from the moment he heard her irritation. He knew Lily well; his sensitive ears had suffered on more than one occasion.

"Your will was never read," Harry said with a sigh.

James' hazel eyes had narrowed. He flicked his eyes from Sirius to Remus and said, "Where in the _hell_ were you two?"

"_Don't_," Harry said forcefully, "blame them. Sirius went after Peter and was put in Azkaban prison for it and since Remus was ignorant of your change," he glared pointedly at his father, "he thought he'd just seen Sirius betray you both and murder Peter. He left the country on the advice of Albus Dumbledore."

James looked both ashamed and horrified. "_Azkaban,_ Pads? But they found out and let you go, obviously."

Sirius barked out a laugh. It was slightly bitter. "No, they didn't find out. The stupid rat cut off his own finger and transformed after blowing up the street and catching 12 Muggles. I spent 12 years in there James, finally I broke out. I'm cleared now, an Auror saw Peter at one of the last Death Eater attacks but I was on the run for another 3 years."

James snorted. "Only you, Pads, could break out of Azkaban prison."

_Not exactly,_ Harry thought with bitter humour. Remus snorted; obviously he was thinking the same thing.

"So Harry," Lily beamed at her son, "Tell us about your school years."

Hermione giggled. "Mini adventures, every one of them," she explained.

"What's your name?" Lily asked, curious.

"Hermione Granger, Mrs. Potter."

"Oh Merlin, call me Lilly. His expression," she tilted her head to the side at James, "gets so smug when anyone calls me that."

"Oi!"

Hermione giggled again. "All right Lily. Call me Hermione."

"You said Hagrid brought you your letter?" James asked, interested. "Why? The owl that brought mine landed in my mum's hair, she was a bit annoyed with it and blasted a few of its tail feathers off."

Sirius snickered. "I remember you telling me about that."

"The reason why Hagrid brought my letter is because the Dursleys tried to prevent me from going. They figured they could lose the trail and we ended up on this hut in the middle of the ocean."

Lily snorted in disbelief. "That would have been Vernon's idea. Tuney may have not liked magic after I started attending, but she still knows some things about the magical world."

"Anyway," Harry said pointedly, "Hagrid brought my letter and told me I was wizard. My reaction to that was, amusing, to say the least. I was in shock; I thought Hagrid was looking for the wrong person at first."

"Better than some," Lily said, smirking at Severus. "Some people forget the difference in the worlds and offend girls by calling them a witch."

Severus flushed again and grumbled, "Shut up Lily. I was nine years old, for Merlin's sake."

Remus snickered at his lover's reaction. "You called a supposedly Muggle girl a witch? That's pretty bad, Sev. I grew up in the magical world and I would still know better than to call a young girl a witch."

Severus retaliated by smacking Remus across the back of the head with a half-hearted glare.

"What house did you end up in?" James asked eagerly.

"Gryffindor, though I almost ended up in Slytherin," Harry replied, grinning as his dad's jaw dropped.

"I met Hermione on the train along with another named Ron," he scowled at the name. "Draco and I" he grinned at said blonde, "didn't exactly get along at first."

James looked over at Draco and said, "A Malfoy? Any relation to old Lucy?"

Draco's face was priceless. "Lucy?" he murmured with a grin. "Next time he calls me Dragon I know what to say. Thanks! And yes, Lucius is my father. He became a spy for the Order, our Manor is currently headquarters."

"Good for him," James grinned.

"What would you say is your best class, Harry?" Lily asked, curious.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, easily," Harry replied. "Though Potions would have been a favourite as well had a certain Potions Master not been taking out his temper on me."

It was almost funny to watch how fast Severus tried to shrink away from Lily's hard green glare. Eventually taking pity on the ex-Slytherin Harry added, "But we've come to terms now, I consider Severus a good friend."

"Good!" Lily said firmly. "More mature than some," she glared pointedly at James.

James ignored her. "Did you play Quidditch?" he asked eagerly.

Hermione snickered in laughter. "I would say so! He got on the House team 1st year!"

"No _way!"_ Sirius was shocked as well, he hadn't heard that. James asked, "What position?"

Harry chuckled at his father's expression and said, "Seeker. I was Captain as well in 6th and 7th year."

"And banned in 5th," Hermione huffed, still angry about Umbridge. Draco looked away, he felt guilty for getting Harry and the twins banned. Slytherin hadn't won the Cup anyway, Weaselette had gotten the Snitch.

"You're skipping a few years, Hermione," Harry reminded her.

"How did you get banned from Quidditch?" James asked, looking horrified at the very thought.

"We'll get there eventually. Continuing with 1st year, Hermione, Ron and I ran into a Cerebrus that was being kept in the 3rd floor corridor. Hermione noticed it was standing on a trapdoor and Hagrid let it slip that it was 'between Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel.' Oh, he also said the Cerebrus was his and his name was Fluffy."

"What," Lily asked faintly, "was Dumbledore _thinking,_ keeping a 3-headed-dog in a school?"

"We found that out after Christmas," Harry said grimly. "Fluffy was part of a series of enchantments guarding the Philosopher's Stone. I was serving detention in the Forbidden Forest when a Centaur gave me enough clues to realise that Voldemort was attempting to steal it."

Lily's face was white. So was James' and it was surprisingly him that spoke, "The Elixir of Life. Oh Merlin, that would have been the end of everything."

"We found out Hagrid had let it slip to a stranger how to get past Fluffy. Up until the night we went through the trapdoor, I thought it was Severus trying to steal the Stone," Harry looked sheepish. "A miscalculation on my part, and I apologise Severus."

Severus snorted. "Quite all right, I certain gave that man an easy enough cover, I'm disgusted to say."

"You went through the trapdoor?" Lily asked. "How did you get past Fluffy?"

"You play him a bit of music and he falls asleep," Harry explained. "I went through first, landing on a soft surface. It was only after Hermione and Ron had followed that Hermione realised it was Devil's Snare. She remembered that it didn't like light or heat and Ron said to light a fire." Harry smirked at Hermione and she groaned in embarrassment.

"Hermione replied with, 'there's no wood'."

People burst out laughing.

"You're a witch, woman!" James had dropped to the grass he was laughing so hard.

"That's what Ron said. She conjured the same blue flames she used to set Severus on fire earlier that year and we were released. Next was a room with a bunch of birds and a locked door. After a moment I realised the birds were winged keys. There was a broom there and I was able to catch the key that opened the door."

"After that came McGonagall's giant wizard's chess set. We had to play our way across, and yes, Dad," Harry added at James' unasked question, "it was _exactly _like real wizards chess."

James paled. "I hope you were good at chess. I'm awful."

"So am I, but Ron Weasley was one of the best in the school and he beat the set," Harry summarized that curtly, not wanting to linger on Ron's name any longer than necessary.

"After that came Severus' bit. That was a good idea, by the way. He had a line of potions on a table along with a riddle. As Hermione explained, most wizards can't think logically and would never have been able to find the correct potions. The reason why we needed the potions were for the flames that appeared in the doorways after we approached the table. Hermione is one of the smartest people I know and she figured it out."

"I continued on alone," Harry sighed. "It wasn't Severus, obviously. It was my DADA teacher, Professor Quirrell. He was sharing a body with Voldemort, but I was able to get away with the Stone. He couldn't touch me physically because of your sacrifice; I literally burned him to death."

James blinked. "Well that's one way to kill somebody."

Harry explained the rest of his school years leading up to the unfinished 7th, surprisingly James took the fact that he was a Parselmouth with only curiosity. Perhaps he knew about the Slytherin blood in his background.

Harry's expression by now was somewhat pinched. He _really_ didn't want to remember his arrest and trial. With a sigh he continued. "I never finished my 7th year or took my NEWTs. I had just finished help to re-ward the school after they fell in the Hogsmede attack when two Aurors arrested me for the murder of Ron Weasley's younger sister Ginerva."

"What? You didn't do it, obviously!" Lily protested.

"They didn't care, mum. The public _trial_ was more for Fudge's benefit than mine, I was sentenced to life in Azkaban prison without them even thinking about using Veritaserum. I broke out earlier this month. I was thin enough to slip through the bars on my window and jump into the sea. Most of the Weasleys turned their back on me without a second thought. The only ones who didn't that I know of for sure were the twins, Fred and George."

"So they still believe you guilty," James muttered. Looking at his son he said shrewdly, "That doesn't explain why you feel like going after Dumbledore as well."

"He took a great deal of money from your vaults as well as trying to get me married off to Ginerva Weasley."

The shouting that followed that bit of information went on for a good while. As it began to wind down Harry looked at the clock and invited people to stay the night. He would put off explaining his relationship with Sirius and the presence of Polaris until tomorrow. Until then, he had to deal with his pounding headache and get some sleep.


	10. Nine: Facing the Inquisition

**A/N:**** Sirius and Harry introduce Polaris to his parents and tell them about their relationship. Harry tells about the Dursleys as well. Mild Language. Mostly from Sirius' POV, hence the title.**

**Nine-**_ Facing an Inquisition_

When Sirius woke the following morning, he was aware of two things. One, Harry was still sound asleep, draped across his body. He smiled at his beautiful love, thanking the gods that he had been blessed with this wonderful person. Tenderly he kissed the soft hair, breathing in the scent that both he and Padfoot had come to recognise as Harry's. The next was the lack of noise from the attached bedroom.

Sirius stood, walking over to the door. He listened for a long moment, trying to pick up any small noises. The room behind this door now belonged to little Polaris, designated by the large star painted on the door. More often than not, Polaris would find his way into their bed; Sirius had a feeling that his almost three-year-old son was going to become quite spoiled in no time. He didn't mind.

Opening the door, he frowned. Polaris' small bed was rumpled and _empty._ He left the room as it was, headed for their door. He knew Polaris couldn't open the door that led out of his bedroom _yet._ He wasn't concerned, it probably meant that someone else had heard he was awake and had gotten the little boy up. He was most likely downstairs in the kitchen, eating breakfast.

He froze. Face paling, he remembered the small fact that there were two portraits downstairs in the kitchen as well. It didn't help that they were Polaris' grandparents, in fact, it made it worse. They hadn't told James and Lily about his relationship with Harry yet. Hopefully, they wouldn't realise where Polaris got his more delicate features from until Harry woke.

Sirius dressed slowly and made his way down the stairs, nodding to his mother's portrait, which was quiet for once. Since Polaris had come here she was less inclined to shout at him for merely existing, instead saving her shouts for when someone startled her by banging a door open or shut. Sirius was tempted to ask her _why_ she'd changed so much but he wasn't _that_ interested, at least not yet anyway.

He took a moment to lean on the doorway and watch the scene in the kitchen with a grin. Polaris had finished his breakfast and was chattering away to Lily, who was listening to the little boy with a grin on her face. Remus was grinning as well, Pol comfortably situated on his lap. Remus looked up and saw Sirius standing there and minutely shook his head. Sirius sighed in relief.

"Daddy!"

Startled out of his relief by that small, chipper voice Sirius smiled and replied, "Hi buddy. Did Remus get you up?"

Even as Polaris nodded firmly Remus protested, "He was already awake, Siri! Promise!"

"Were you Pol?" Sirius asked his son, teasing Remus.

Pol thought about it for a moment and said, "Swightly." The little boy promptly laughed at the fake hurt expression on Remus' face.

"You were supposed to say yes, Pol!"

"I am sowwy, Remy."

Sirius was unable to resist a soft laugh at Polaris' truly apologetic tone of voice. He had just gotten himself a cup of tea when Lily asked, "Sirius, who is this little dear's other parent?"

Sirius froze and chose to avoid the question. "Why would you say other parent, Lils?"

"I figured out you were bisexual in 6th year, Sirius Orion Black. I know your memory isn't _that_ bad," Lily replied.

Sirius managed to dance around her question for another ten minutes, getting a breakfast plate ready for himself and Harry. He was becoming more nervous by the moment, however. It was almost with relief that he looked up and saw Harry, dressed already in a casual pair of slacks and a pale grey silk shirt.

Polaris looked up and the first word that popped from his small mouth was, "Papa!"

Sirius just happened to be near the portrait of James and he froze, looking out of the corner of his eyes. His friend went rigid, brown eyes darkening in anger. He shot a glare at Sirius and _just_ opened his mouth to say something when Harry quickly drew his wand and said, "_Silencio!"_

He did that to Lily's portrait as well for good measure. Looking into the betrayed eyes of his parents he said firmly, "I intend to eat breakfast and then we will discuss this as _adults,_" he stressed the last word. "For now, you will remain silenced and I will ask Hermione," he looked over at his brown-haired friend, "to take your portraits to the sitting room. Polaris, how would you like to go to the park across the street with Remus and Severus?" he shot a quick questioning glance at Remus, who nodded quickly.

Hermione stood and put Harry's words into action, levitating the two portraits off the wall and taking them out of the room. Harry meanwhile fell silent except for the slight sounds of silverware on his plate. After he finished eating he gave Polaris a small tap with his wand, changing the boy's black hair to brown and his eyes to a dark grey.

Turning to Remus he said sheepishly, "I'm sorry, you two could have had something you were doing this morning. I just don't want him around for this conversation. I know my father, he's probably going to lose his temper first and _then_ ask questions."

Remus snorted. "Its fine, Harry. We were actually just debating whether or not to return to Headquarters. I don't want to draw too much attention to Sirius' absence. Narcissa's already left, but there are still five missing people."

"Perhaps once James settles down I can ask him if one of the properties I inherited would work as a better location for us," Harry mused out loud. "It would have to be fairly isolated; I don't want some random witch or wizard catching sight of Polaris. He's too easy to remember. The Black features are well-known in the wizarding world, after all."

Draco and Hermione left as well, headed into Diagon Alley to meet with friends of Draco's. Quite suddenly Grimmauld Place was almost frighteningly quiet. Sirius could feel his hands clenching and he stood abruptly, taking his plate into the kitchen. He placed it in the sink, the clatter of silverware almost echoing in the room. Harry had finished his breakfast as well and Sirius led him quietly into the hall. As they approached the sitting room his shoulders tensed.

Harry turned to him and planted a fierce, firm kiss on his lips. He leaned against Sirius' chest, resting his fingers on broad shoulders, fingers lightly soothing tense muscles underneath. For a long moment Sirius simply held him and then he caught Harry's soft voice. "Siri, relax. I love you, you know that."

"Of course, but these are your parents, my best friends! I know how important they are to you."

"They are not as important to me as you are," Harry's breath was soft against his neck. "Siri, if they throw a fit I'll just put the portraits back in my vaults, simple as that. They're images of my parents, nothing more. I love you and I won't live my life to another's standards."

Sirius could feel a lump in his throat. Swallowing, he said, "All right, Harry. Let's face the Inquisition, shall we?"

He offered an arm to Harry, who snickered and took it, striding into the sitting room together. There was a comfortable couch sitting across from the two still-silent portraits. Sirius guided Harry into it, sitting down next to him. After a hesitant moment he wrapped an arm around Harry's waist and pulled him lightly to rest against his shoulder. Harry rested his head against his chest and quietly _un-_silenced the pair.

Looking at his father, Harry murmured, "Why don't the pair of you go first, so you'll actually _listen_ to what we have to say?"

All James did was nod curtly. Sirius resisted a wince; his best friend only did that when he was too angry to voice his thoughts. They sat there in rigid silence for about five minutes, during which Sirius could feel Harry rubbing his tense back. He was shocked when Harry placed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. _What is he DOING?_

The sight seemed to kick James into speaking. Settling for a frigid glare at his son James spoke directly to Sirius. "The last time I saw my son, he was fifteen months old. He was wearing a small Quidditch uniform Lily had picked up and zipping around on the broom his _godfather_ had given him."

Sirius winced at the tone of voice when James said godfather, but didn't say anything. "Then we were betrayed by Peter. Our portraits sat in the Potter vaults for an unknown amount of time as we wandered aimlessly through various properties, wondering where our beloved child was."

"22 _years_ later, we are finally removed from the vaults. I've learned that my two best friends have had a rough life, one placed in Azkaban prison for 12 years. Then I learn about the terror of my son's school years and that he also had been placed in that thrice-damned prison. This morning I met Polaris, a sweet little boy in his own right with very familiar Black family features. _THEN I FIND OUT HE'S MY GRANDSON BECAUSE MY BEST FRIEND AND _SON_ ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP!"_

Sirius resisted the urge to cower in his seat, James could be intimidating in one of his towering rages. Breathing heavily James glared at his best friend and said, "What in the HELL were you thinking, Sirius? I chose you as Harry's godfather, a _parent_ figure, for Merlin's sake!"

"You are a full 20 years older than him, Sirius! You went to school with me and were there after he was _born._ What I'm finding even harder to believe than this—_tryst_- is the fact that Moony has no problem with it whatsoever as far as I can tell!"

Harry looked at Lily and said deliberately, "Do you have anything to add, mum?"

"No. I will wait for now," she answered quietly.

Harry turned angry green eyes on James and said, "You've had your say, now shut up and listen."

Over James' mild sputtering he turned to Sirius and murmured, "Do you want to explain it or should I?"

Sirius sighed, tightened his hand around Harry's momentarily and replied, "I think you should, baby. I don't think he'll listen to me right now."

Harry nodded. He snapped his fingers and Kreacher appeared with a _pop._ "Kreacher, if you would bring some drinks in here and deliver our lunch in here as well I'd appreciate it. Also if you would tell Remus and Severus to put Pol down for a nap when they come back, please."

Kreacher bowed and growled out, "Kreacher is happy to serve, Master Harry."

It took only a moment for a tray of drinks to appear, nothing alcoholic, Harry noted with relief. He poured Sirius a glass of sparkling cider and himself a glass of very cold water. Taking a sip he decided to start at the beginning, where everything had changed.

"When I told you about my school years yesterday," he began, "I only told you that I was raised by the Dursleys. I told you nothing about my life with them."

Sirius' arm tightened around his waist, he knew what Harry was about to talk about. He'd told Sirius about his treatment by the Dursleys early on in their relationship, using to explain things much the same as he was about to use it on his parents.

"I don't see what this has to do—" James broke off at Harry's glare.

"You had your turn, now be quiet or I will silence you again."

"Albus Dumbledore," he began venomously, "thought it best to leave me with Vernon and Petunia Dursley, a pair of Muggles. He thought that being raised in a magical community would go to my head with the fact that I was so _famous._ So instead of handing me over to a qualified witch or wizard to raise, I was left on the doorstep of 4 Privet Drive with a _letter_ to explain why I was there at all."

"In school, Severus thought it entertaining to taunt me about my _perfect_ life, about how spoiled I was by my precious Muggle relatives. He had no idea," Harry said bitterly. "On the train in my 1st year, I told Ronald Weasley that I would have gladly switched places with him to be one of seven siblings with my loving if absent-minded parents than be an orphan."

He took a sip of water, his life with the Dursleys was difficult to discuss with anyone. "I have probably had a more difficult and joyless life at the Dursleys than a house elf would have. My first Hogwarts letter was addressed to 'Cupboard Under the Stairs', which was where I slept until the age of 11. From the age of 5 onward I cleaned the house; at 7 I was cooking full meals for the Dursleys. By 8 years I was doing most of the outside chores as well."

"If I didn't finish my list of chores by the end of the day I was punished for it. Vernon's favourite was to have me put my hands on a wall and crack his heavy leather belt across my back as hard as he could. I was blamed and punished for any of the wrongs my cousin Dudley committed, if I protested it lasted longer."

The expression on James and Lily's faces made it hard for him to continue, but he did so. "I was left in the house all day except to go out and do my chores. I never attended school before Hogwarts, I taught myself how to read, write and do basic math problems from Dudley's school books, which I would steal overnight and stay up late into the night to learn from. It made me bitter and envious to listen to Dudley complain about his schoolwork and his teachers."

"Every year on Dudley's birthday they would shower him with presents and take him and his friends to the zoo, the theatre to see a film, an amusement park. I would be left behind with Mrs. Figg, a batty lady whom I later learned was a Squib Albus paid to keep an eye on me."

"I vividly remember one summer, when the Dursleys went to visit Petunia's friend Yvonne in the country. I was left at Privet Drive, locked under the stairs for two weeks with a bottle of stale water and a half-loaf of bread. By the time they returned, I was so weak I could barely move."

"My life changed the moment I received that first letter in emerald green ink. I saved the envelope from being destroyed, but they took the letter from me before I could read it. It would be another week before I was allowed to finally read my letter. It came with Hagrid, a giant of a man whom I was sorely afraid of at first. When he told me I was a wizard I couldn't believe him."

Harry leaned back into Sirius' arms, who held him gently. Sirius knew how much Harry hated remembering his life in the beginning. With a sigh he drank another sip of water, suddenly wishing it was something stronger. As if summoned by his thoughts, a dusty bottle of Ogden's best firewhiskey appeared in front of him. He poured a generous measure of it into a glass and gulped some down, ignoring the burn in his throat.

"When I confronted the Dursleys about it, she seemed happy to vent about how much she _hated_ her sister, how I was nothing but an expensive inconvenience to them to feed and clothe. Never mind the fact that my typical day's worth of food was a glass of watered down milk, a glass of water, a piece of old fruit and a piece of bread. She said toward the end of her rant and I quote, '_then they went and got themselves blown up and we got landed with you'._ Before that, I thought my parents had died in a car crash, though when I thought about it hard enough I heard a high cold laugh and saw a flash of bright green light."

"It was from Hagrid that I learned that I was famous for defeating the dreaded Dark Lord Voldemort and was a household name known as the Boy-Who-Lived. When I met a bunch of people in the Leaky Cauldron it struck me suddenly how these people were a group of idiots. 'Oh yes, let's make this boy a household name. Let's remind him every time we idolize him or gape at his famous scar that he's famous for being an orphan.' It never made sense to me."

"Just before the beginning of my third year, Siri escaped from Azkaban. His face was plastered all over the Muggle and magical news as an insane serial murderer. Before boarding the train, I learned from Arthur Weasley that he was after _me,_ apparently. The Ministry based this concern off the fact that Siri would mutter in his sleep, '_he's at Hogwarts'._ Never mind the fact that Siri was saner than any prisoner in Azkaban, they judged him on his family history and said he was coming after me for destroying the Dark Lord."

"There were Dementors on the train taking us to Hogwarts," Harry murmured softly. He half-closed his eyes in remembrance. "I have a bad reaction to them due to the attack. When they get close enough to me I can hear Lily begging with the Dark Lord to kill her instead and leave me. If not for Remus, I don't know what would have happened on the train."

He smiled. "I liked Remus from the beginning. He looked a great deal rougher than he does now, but that year he was going through his own private hell, I'm sure. Because of the fact you told no one about the switch, Remus thought Siri had betrayed you along with the rest of the wizarding world. All that year he was debating back and forth whether or not to tell Albus about the Map and your status as an un-registered Animagi."

"I saw Siri several times that year, in his Animagus form," Harry said fondly, smiling at Sirius. "He nearly gave me a heart attack the first time; I was _not_ expecting to see a giant bear-like dog in the near dark. Due to Sirius' escape there were Dementors all around the school that year. After I fell fifty feet from my broom in the only Quidditch match I ever lost, I was able to persuade Remus to help me learn to defend myself from the creatures."

"Near Christmas, I found out about Siri being your Secret-Keeper. I reacted badly at first. I admit that when I first saw him face to face I wanted to kill him. However, after he and Remus forced Peter back into human form and I realised who had really betrayed you, I forgave him. To my shock, as I spoke with him I realised I liked him, a _lot._ When Remus transformed and Peter escaped, Sirius was forced to flee."

"I appreciated it at first; I spent much of the first month of my vacation going over my feelings, trying to understand what I felt for Sirius. Love was a foreign emotion to me; I had never been treated with so much as a affection for 10 years. This idiot," he glared fondly at Sirius, "decided it would be a good idea to traipse into Magnolia Crescent. He found me out in the middle of a grassy field. It was my favourite place; the grass was taller than him so I could hide from my cousin and his friends."

"That was the day I was introduced to another side of his personality, that of a enthusiastic, happy-go-lucky prankster. However, I also met his fiercely protective side, as he was the first to see the scars on my back. Luckily I had thought to confiscate his wand so he couldn't sneak off after the Dursleys."

"I battled off and on with my feelings for him up until the beginning of my 6th year, even going on a date with a girl named Cho Chang. She was annoying and we'll leave it at that. Finally I cornered Sirius here at Grimmauld and told him how I felt about him. At first, he reacted the same way as you, Dad."

Finally Sirius decided to speak up. "I protested it at first, reminding him of our age difference, of the fact that I was appointed his godfather. He shot those down real quick. The first thing he reminded me of was the fact that when the Ministry convicted me they ruled me an 'unfit guardian' and had me removed as Harry's godfather. Harry found that in the old court records."

"To protest the age difference he told me what he just told you. Harry's never been a child, never mind his physical age. He's been an icon since before he was two and a warrior for the Light since 11. Just before that year he'd led a bunch of students that _he taught_ into the Department of Mysteries and they faced Death Eaters without a _single_ casualty. James, there's no way to argue that I was your friend in school, that I grew up with you just about. But I love him; he and Polaris are my _life_."

"Polaris is two and a half," James said stiffly. "That means he was born when you were 18, Harry."

"In Azkaban prison," Harry added softly. "But yes, he was born when I was 18. So what? For one, I had _no_ idea I was one of the rare wizards that could carry a child. Two, my sexual relationship with Sirius was entirely by consent; in fact I think Siri could argue that I seduced _him_ that first night. Three, if I had the choice I would do it all over again. I love Sirius and I am _happy_ to have a family with him."

When James started to open his mouth again Harry interrupted. "Dad, think about what you say. If necessary than you and Mum can go back into the vaults. I'm almost twenty-three and you've been dead for twenty-two years. I love you but I've more than proved I can make my own decisions and I will _not_ choose two portraits over Sirius and Polaris."

Lily looked from Sirius to Harry and spoke for the first time. "Though it may take a while for me to adjust to this, I won't judge your relationship, Harry. The way Sirius treats you and Polaris is proof enough to me that he loves you, more so than I have seen him love anyone before. However, Sirius, if you hurt him I will find a way to punish you even from this portrait. I think your imagination can provide ample ways of how."

Sirius swallowed. He most certainly _could_ think of the ways. None were pleasant. Harry stood and turned to him with a soft smile. He stood as well, kissing him on the lips. Not looking back at one of his best friends, he walked out of the room. It was after two in the afternoon, so they decided to take a nap along with Polaris. Sirius pulled Harry onto his body, kissing him again. His mouth tasted of firewhiskey and lemongrass.

With a heavy sigh he closed his eyes, threaded his fingers through Harry's silky hair and fell asleep. Either James would accept their relationship or he wouldn't. Simple as that.


	11. Ten: Order of the Idiots

**A/N:**** Harry joins the Order in disguise as Sirius' lover. He's not impressed. I have to say, Harry acting like an airy, love-struck ditz on purpose is fun to write.**

**Ten**_ - Order of the Idiots_

Harry's expression was much happier than it had been over the past few days. James still hadn't said a word about his decision to either ignore or acknowledge that his best friend and son were a joint item. It made for a slightly tense household atmosphere, but his mood had improved when Severus had suggested a rather ingenious idea. Harry was to join the Order of the Phoenix. Or rather, Estel Gryferin was, as Sirius' rather independent, unemployed lover, no less. Harry was quite looking forward to the role; it would be a great deal of fun. Harry had created his alias' last name by combining Gryffindor and Slytherin, the two houses he could have been in.

He had already taken his OWLs and NEWTs in his disguise, surprising Hermione by getting second-place overall for their graduating year. Salazar Slytherin's wand was a more than adequate replacement for his holly wand; Lily had put forth the opinion that the holly wand had limited his control over spells. Harry wouldn't be surprised to find out that was correct. Dumbledore was being revealed as a more manipulative, sneaky and two-faced old coot than Harry would have ever believed possible.

They had decided to _not_ introduce Polaris until later, if ever. They planned to inform Albus that they would be living in Grimmauld Place and would join the Order at Malfoy Manor for meetings only. If James ever got off his high horse and accepted their relationship Harry intended on asking his father if there were any properties in the family that would serve a better place for them. Today wasn't a full meeting and surprisingly Severus had been the one to volunteer and stay behind with Pol. Harry smiled lightly, glad that Polaris had succeeded in getting through to the snarky, gruff Potions Master.

He heard a chuckle and turned to see Sirius watching him. Most of the others had left yesterday, the rest early this morning in carefully staggered groups. It wouldn't do for the whole group to turn up at once. Likewise, only Remus and Narcissa would act like they had met 'Estel' before. He eyed Sirius' slacks and pale blue silk shirt with a smile. Sirius looked good in a plain t-shirt; in silk and rich cotton he was incredible.

Harry had dressed in-character, wearing a pair of tattered, washed-out jeans and an acid green tee, a wand-created tattoo swirling over the left side of his face. Taking a tip from Luna he tucked his wand behind his ear. To complete the image was a platinum earring of a phoenix in the opposite ear. Between the earring, his tattoo and his long hair he was sure to gain Molly Weasley's disapproval.

"I have to admit, that little habit of putting your wand behind the ear definitely promotes an oddball image," Sirius was grinning at his appearance. Taking in the earring his eyebrows rose and he said, "You use a fake tattoo charm but actually pierced your ear?"

"I've been wanting to do that for a while and it'll drive dear Molly nuts," Harry replied, grinning in a bored sort of way.

Sirius wasn't fooled and snorted slightly. "Should've guessed your willingness to accept Severus' plan wasn't entirely innocent."

"Nope," Harry replied, popping the 'p'. "If I can add in just a smidge of payback you can bet I will."

Sirius eyed the clock and offered an arm to Harry. He snorted in laughter but accepted as they walked through the front door. Holding on to Sirius tightly the pair Apparated. Harry had never seen Malfoy Manor before and looked around in interest. When he saw the white peacocks tethered in the front yard he snickered, leaned over and said in Sirius' ear, "Do you think one of them is Lucius in Animagus form?"

As a result Sirius was roaring with laughter when they stepped into the large sitting room. Dumbledore had been made aware of his arrival and was the only one without a look of surprise on his face, real or fake. As he'd planned, they took in his eccentric appearance with eyes of suspicious disbelief. Smiling with absolutely fake delight he chirped with a slightly high-pitched voice, "It's an _honor_ to meet you in person, Albus Dumbledore! To think I'm standing in front of the wizard most acknowledge as the greatest man alive."

He could feel Sirius' shoulder shaking with suppressed laughter as Albus gave a genial, reserved smile in return and said, "A pleasure to meet you as well, I'm sure. To the rest of you, this is Estel Gryferin, formerly from Wales. He is Sirius'—"here Dumbledore hesitated, unsure of how to phrase the relationship.

"Lover?" Harry chirped again, helpfully. Looking out of the corner of his eye he could see Remus' eyes alive with barely restrained laughter.

"That term would work, I suppose. Why would you wish to join an organization such as the Order?"

Harry gave a large, fake sigh and said with equally fake sadness, "I am a half-blood orphan, Dumbledore. I was raised by Muggles who were more than pleased to send me off to a wizarding school in America. Nevertheless I had remained aware of the situation here and I know that Voldemort will not stop here. People of my blood will not be welcome in his regime."

At the several violent flinches from members of the Order he said with bewildered confusion, "Why do you react so badly to his name. It's just a name, for Merlin's sake!"

"It is one people still greatly fear. I have one question, which house do you believe you would have been in at our school, Hogwarts?"

"Hmm," he replied, tapping his chin in thought. He looked at Sirius, who had so far been lucky enough to remain quiet. Smiling sweetly he said with confusion, "I really don't know them that well. What do you think, Siri?"

The nickname earned a quick snort from Remus and Sirius thought for a long moment. Eventually he answered, "I really don't know, Estel. You're intelligent like a Ravenclaw, cheerful like a Hufflepuff, clever like a Slytherin and a brave idiot like a Gryffindor."

Harry swatted his shoulder playfully and said, "Brat! I am not an idiot." Turning to Dumbledore he shrugged and said, "I really don't know, sir. I guess I would say Gryffindor, I tend to rush into things without thinking about it."

The answer apparently pleased Albus and he said, "Welcome into the Order of the Phoenix, Estel Gryferin."

While Harry outwardly gushed with delight, he was blinking with shock inside. _That_ was all it took to convince the _great_ Albus Dumbledore that he was trustworthy? A sob-story about a less than pureblood background and a confessed Gryffindor trait? He clung lightly to Sirius and ended up sitting between him and Remus. He could see Molly Weasley from here and she looked scandalised at his appearance, as he had hoped.

He heard his real name mentioned toward the end of the meeting and tuned back in. Up until then it had been quite dull. "I dearly hope this Harry Potter business is finished soon," Molly was saying to Narcissa. "I would feel better if the Wizengamot would just authorise the Dementors to finish him off when they find him. We would all be better off without him."

Burning with anger, Harry forced more of the false sweetness into his voice and said, "Forgive me—Molly, is it? But you are confusing me. I was under the impression that there was a reason for Harry Potter being called the 'Chosen One'. In papers, he was described as being best friends with your son also. I know they _say_ he killed your daughter, but they also said Siri killed Peter Pettigrew, did they not? I wouldn't be inclined to believe in his guilt until it's proven under Veritaserum."

Molly bristled, her imaginary feathers ruffled. "I have strong belief that he can lie under Veritaserum. As far as his guilt is concerned, I know that he was jealous of Ginny and her fiancée. But he waited too long to act on it and she moved on. He was always unstable, led a bunch of_ kids_ into the Ministry on a wild goose chase two years before his imprisonment!"

"Did he force them to go with him at wand point?" Harry debated in an airy tone, adding as she started to go red in the face, "As for the Veritaserum, have you brought up the idea to Severus Snape? He was the one to develop the potion after all and his take on Harry Potter's mental abilities seems quite low."

Remus was desperately trying not to laugh next to him. Molly said sharply, "You do not know him at all, so I will forgive your ignorance. Harry Potter has been a bane to my family's existence from the beginning. He was a spoiled brat as a child and he had less than," her eyes flicked to Sirius, "_respectable_ influences in his early teens."

Harry's voice went cold as ice as he said, "Madam, as you say I do not know Harry Potter. But I _do_ know Siri so I suggest you keep any less than polite comments about him to yourself. It would never have been Siri's fault if Harry Potter turned out like you said. He was on the run for two and a half years, so unless you think mere letters and quick holidays can influence someone so much, I suggest you be quiet!"

Sirius stood, offering a hand to him. Harry stood, standing close enough to Sirius that his entire left side pressed against the taller man's right. "Albus, we are staying at Grimmauld. I have no wish to place more pressure and another guest on the Malfoy family."

"Of course," Albus replied brightly. "I will have Remus notify you of the next meeting."

Sirius managed to remain quiet until they returned to Grimmauld and walked up into their quarters. Then he looked Harry in the eye and started laughing so hard he ended up sprawled on their bed with tears running down his face. Harry snickered and fell gladly on top of him, getting a slight 'oomf' from Sirius as he dropped down. "Was that enough of a airhead or did I go too far?"

"That was perfect," Sirius managed to wheeze, still laughing. "I don't think Molly will ever develop a good opinion about Estel Gryferin after that performance."

"Good," Harry replied, placing a deep kiss on Sirius' mouth. "She hit a nerve when she implied _you_ influenced me somehow."

"I think you gave poor Remus a cracked rib or two though," Sirius grinned up at him. "I've never seen him work so hard to not start laughing."

"Yes, well according to Molly working with me _is_ an occupational hazard," Harry replied blithely.

They both dissolved into laughter again, joined by one extremely happy, hyper little boy not long after. Severus merely looked at the group, arched an eyebrow and departed Grimmauld, shaking his head. He wasn't even going to ask. It wasn't worth the almost-guaranteed headache that would result.


	12. Eleven: An Unexpected Gesture

******I'm glad you liked the last chapter! As far as Harry's name goes, the name 'Estel' in here comes from LOTR; it's the name Aragorn hid under while he was being raised by the Elves in the novelization. It means 'hope'. I'm deeply sorry this took so long. I have no excuse. :|**

**Eleven-**_ An Unexpected Gesture_

It was three days after Harry's debut as Estel Gryferin and so far the Order was quiet. Sirius had been using the days to get to know his tiny son better with the result that Pol's giggling laughter was often heard ringing clearly through Grimmauld Place. After being initially startled by his daddy's alter-ego Padfoot, the green-grey eyed child was now enamored of the large dog and would often drift off for an impromptu nap against the Grim's fuzzy, warm body.

Such was the case today, as Harry noticed when he poked his head into the sitting room. Sirius was sprawled out in Grim form, Polaris curled against his side, sound asleep. The boy's eyelashes fluttered a little as he slept, a small smile curling his mouth. Harry wisely chose not to interrupt his son's nap (or his father's for that matter), knowing it would only be a matter of time before Pol would start fighting his naps with the grumble that he was too old for them.

Instead he soundlessly backed out of the room and headed toward the room that held his parent's portraits. Today he was going to offer his father an ultimatum, either get off his high horse and admit that he had no control over whom Harry chose to be with, or James' portrait would find itself back in the vault faster than he could say 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' (which wasn't very fast as it was ridiculously long).

Lily saw him enter first and smiled at him. When he'd first come in here after piercing his ear she'd started scolding him in a very motherly way, though he was relieved she was nowhere near as smothering as Molly Weasley would have been about it. Just thinking about the woman now grated on his nerves, so he quickly banished her to a remote corner of his thoughts. "Hello Mother," he said warmly.

"Harry," she replied softly. "How are you today?"

"Well, so far." His smile was slightly bitter. "It gets difficult after a while to be pinned in one place. I've suggested to Sirius that I use 'Estel' but he's a bit wary of the idea. Unfortunately there are Dementors all around England looking for me and my Patronus is very distinctive. Unlike some, I cannot simply ignore them, my memories are quite painful."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see James' portrait watching them, but the image of his father was quiet outside of a slight furrowing of the forehead. Lily sighed and said, "This is why you are looking for an alternate, more discreet location?"

"Partially," he admitted. "It would be nice to be able to enjoy the sun without worrying about a glamour or some such. This place also has dark memories for Siri, I don't like seeing him upset. Plus, you may have noticed that we have one very _active_ little boy who would probably enjoy running around under the sun and I don't want him involved in any way."

"He does have very distinctive Black features," James finally spoke. He hesitated, looked at Harry for a long moment, studying his son's face. "There is a small Potter family property on the coast near Cornwall. Two levels and an extensive storage grounds below. Snape would be more than able to establish a suitable Potions Lab down there."

As Lily scolded her husband for not using the name Severus Harry used the lack of attention in his direction as a blessed distraction from his considerable surprise. After a long moment he decided to consider it an olive branch from his father and nodded. "Thank you, Dad. What is it called?"

"_Domus lux lucis eterna,"_ James said. At Harry's quizzical expression he translated, "House of Light Eternal. You will find that most of the pureblood families allied with the Light were just as fanatical as those of the Dark."

Harry's eyebrows arched at that but he said nothing but, "I am going to go investigate. If it suits our purposes we will move your portraits first. Thank you again, Dad."

James smiled and sighed heavily. "Though it may take me a while to get used to this, I would rather admit that you and Sirius seem to get along well and leave it at that than lose my son. I have spent 22 years in a vault; I do not wish to miss more of your life due to my own stubborn pride."

Harry merely smiled in happiness; his mother shrieked happily and darted into James' portrait, throwing herself into his arms and knocking them both into the tall grass. Resisting a laugh at her antics, Harry slipped away while the pair were distracted.

Returning to the sitting room, he poked his head in the door. Somehow Sirius had wriggled his way out from under Polaris and transformed back, replacing Padfoot's warm body with a soft blanket and small pillow. He looked up at some small sound and smiled when he saw Harry. Harry crooked his finger at him in a 'come here' gesture and Sirius stood, padding barefoot across the carpet to the doorway. "Yeah?" he said softly in that husky voice of his.

Harry smiled at him and said, "James told me of a place that might suit our needs. I was going to go investigate. Would you like to come along?"

Sirius looked at him sharply and said firmly, "You aren't going anywhere without me, Harry. Let me grab my shoes while you ask Severus to listen for Pol if he wouldn't mind."

Harry cheekily flipped him a quick salute and smartly pivoted. Sirius snorted quietly behind him as he walked down the hallway. He moved cautiously into the cellars, headed for Severus' lab. Sirius' desire to be polite around Severus was understandable; Remus was currently on a mission for Albus and had been gone two weeks. Severus' way of showing he was worried about his lover was by being even snarkier and more sarcastic than usual.

He never acted that way around Polaris however. From the moment he had fixed Polaris' chair that first morning the little boy had attached himself to both Severus and Remus. Severus would probably never admit it, but he was quite fond of the little boy who had been named Remus' godson his first week at Grimmauld. Remembering Remus' initial protests and subsequent happy tears still made Harry smile. If something happened to him and Sirius he knew Polaris would be well taken care of.

He entered the lab and watched for a moment as Severus worked on his current Potion. The man had a deft grace and precision for the subject that Harry envied immensely. Next to Severus he felt clumsy and inadequate while attempting to brew a Potion. However, Severus' precision and attention to detail had one major downside. The man was a perfectionist when it came to his brewing, it was the reason he was such an awful teacher. He had no patience for those without his same appreciation for the subject or those willing to settle for 'good enough'. The highest praise he'd ever received from Severus had come three weeks ago in the form of a slightly-sneered, "Adequate, I suppose."

"Severus?" he inquired quietly at a pause in the man's actions.

"Yes, Harry?" Severus said, only the slightest bite of impatience in his tone. Harry must have caught him at a simmering stage, then.

"Would you mind keeping an eye on Polaris while Sirius and I investigate a possible solution to our housing problem? He's asleep at the moment, in the sitting room."

"No," the man said absently, considering the colour of his potion. "I wouldn't mind. Key a surveillance charm down here, this potion is almost done and is the last for today. Where is this possible residence?"

"The coast, near Cornwall. According to my father's portrait, there is a large cellar you could make into a very spacious lab."

"Trying to sweeten the deal, brat?" Severus asked, some humour leaking into his sardonic tone. But Harry could see a keen interest in his dark eyes. "I already said I would watch him. Away with you."

Harry chuckled softly and said, "Thank you, Severus. We shouldn't be gone long."

He turned and exited the lab. Severus didn't acknowledge the thanks, if he had even heard it. The Numbing Potion had finished simmering and the colour was off…

* * *

**A/N: All right, I'm ending this one here. Next chapter should be up MUCH quicker. I like writing Severus in this one; he seems the most in-character of my stories so far besides **_**Darkest Night.**_** Thanks for reading!**


	13. Twelve: Domus Lux Lucis Eterna

**A/N:**** You are about to meet one of the most important OCs outside of Polaris. I'm not going to tell you what his name means, you'll have to look it up. Once you find the correct meaning, it gives you an important clue about him! I took some time creating his character, I hope you like him. This was interesting to write, not too much action or mayhem, but it furthers the plot quite a bit. Next chapter is another Order meeting!**

**Eleven-**_ Domus lux Lucis Eterna_

When the loud '_crack'_ of Apparition faded and Sirius was able to look around without feeling dizzy the only thing he could do was stare. According to Harry, Prongs had said that the place was one of the 'smaller' Potter properties. The sprawling 2-level manor house in front of him was anything _but._ Four Venetian pillars held up a second level balcony just over the massive double doors. From what Sirius could see the property was enclosed entirely in a wrought-iron fence, the pointed, arrow-shaped barrier at the top tipped in what appeared to be pure silver.

There were 3 barns and an extensive paddock and training ring for some of the most beautiful horses he had ever seen in his life. As a pureblood wizard he was well aware of the legend behind the Arabian horse, there were three in his sight range along with two magnificent Arabian Pegasus. The creatures truly looked the part of the desert spirits they were supposed to be.

The horses and barns were on the left side of the manor, on the right appeared to be a pair of greenhouses and a few acres of foodstuffs. The manor itself was built of a rose-gray stone that shimmered faintly in the late afternoon light. There were plenty of large windows, some appeared to be floor-to-ceiling from this distance and the manor flaunted what appeared to be a dark rose-red tile roof. Possibly expensive when the manor had been built, the tile roof alone was worth a fortune in today's wizarding architectural market.

Harry was staring at the magnificent and imposing gate in front of them. The gate alone was proof that they had come to the right place. The symbol on both sides was a gryphon and the letters L.E. and a large ornate P superimposed over the top. The 'P' obviously stood for Potter, the L and E Sirius could make an intelligent guess and say it stood for _Lucis_ _Eterna_ or Light Eternal. Either way it was the same two letters.

Harry pulled a small dagger from one of the pockets of his jacket and sliced his thumb in one smooth motion. He swiped it lightly across the locking mechanism on the gate. After a long moment the gate shimmered bright gold and there was a click. Soundlessly the gates swung inward, opening the way onto the pearly white gravel path wide enough for a Muggle car. Harry wiped his finger on the inside of his pocket and held a hand out.

Sirius took it and they both stepped through the gates. They had gone possibly five feet when the gates swung shut again. Sirius flicked his right wrist, freeing his wand. He was probably being paranoid, but if this was a trap he wanted to be able to defend himself and Harry. It took a moment for him to realise that the road was lined on either side with rose bushes. The roses were so white they glowed and the petals thin enough to be almost transparent. The entire path was lined this way to the doors.

When they reached a level point with the fields and the stables two more paths appeared, branching off of the main one. Sirius also noticed that the path had become subtly wider as they walked until they reached a point 50 yards from the doors. Guessing at the width Sirius figured that 9 or 10 people could probably walk easily side-by-side without discomfort or running off the path.

A shrill cry split the air and Sirius pulled back on instinct. It was a good thing he did so as a golden-brown, wild-looking _gryphon_ landed in front of them. Sirius eyed the long front claws and the wickedly curved beak and said, "Harry, be _careful._ From what I've read, gryphons are far more temperamental than even a hippogriff."

Harry remained right where he was, looking levelly into the gryphon's strangely intelligent-looking golden eyes. Then, without taking his eyes off the gryphon he bowed low at the waist. The gryphon tilted its head to the side and bowed back. Then it began to shimmer and appeared to be twitching slightly. In front of Sirius' astonished gaze the gryphon shrank and changed until there was a man standing in front of them in satin and leather robes the same colour as the gryphon's feathers.

Those same golden eyes regarded Harry silently for a long moment. Sirius took the strange silence to assess the stranger. He was about the same height as Lucius Malfoy and possessed olive-toned skin that was tanned to a rich golden-brown. His hair was pure white and brushed back to fall smoothly down his back. It hit at his ribcage along with a pair of braids at the temple on each side of his head. His face was strangely triangular in appearance, very sharp and stern. This was not a man to cross, Sirius decided.

When he spoke it was with a rich, aristocratic tone that was both melodic and steeped in magic. "Well met, Lord of the Houses of Gryffindor, Slytherin and Potter. What is your name?"

"I am called Harry James Potter. May I ask yours in turn, Guardian?"

"I was named by one of your kind as Cian_,_ Lord Harry," a strange smile spread across the man's face.

"Who called you that, Cian?" Sirius asked suspiciously.

Cian looked at him and his white eyebrows furrowed. "You have the blood of the Dark flowing through your veins, wizard. I do not understand how you were able to pass the wards of _Lucis Eterna._"

Sirius opened his mouth to say something sharp when Harry interrupted. "He is Sirius Orion, Lord of the House of Black. He is my beloved and the father of my son, Polaris. If he is unworthy to you then so am I, Cian. He needs not be judged by his blood, or any of our friends or those we consider family."

Cian stared at Harry for a long moment with those sharp golden eyes. It was unnerving, especially as he didn't seem to blink as often as a human would. Then a slow smile split the stern face, curving the pale mouth upwards.

"You defend your love and friends readily, Lord Harry. It is an admirable quality that has been abandoned as of late by human kind." He tilted his head to the left as if listening to a whispered comment. "Your beloved is welcome here; as is any that you consider friend or family. Unless you want the wards to reject them, I would recommend you tell me their names and provide descriptions for me. Only I can alter the wards around _Lucis Eterna._ So it has been, so it will stay."

"How long have you guarded this place?" Sirius asked suspiciously.

Cian gave another of his strange, knowing smiles. "A very long time, Sirius of the House of Black. A very long time indeed. Did you not feel the power of those wards when you entered?"

Sirius thought back and remembered the feeling as they stepped through the gate, that of tendrils of magic curling around his body, reluctant to let go. The magic attached had been very old indeed, but Cian didn't seem that old. The white hair threw off Sirius' guess to his age, but he wouldn't guess more than 60 or 70 years, even that seemed high for the smooth, ageless face. It was his voice and mannerisms that implied his age.

"Come," Cian spoke again, pulling Sirius from his musings. The guardian turned and led them up to the double doors, which swung inwards without the slightest hint of noise. Upon closer inspection he realised the doors were massive, easily 3 feet thick. The exterior was covered with a metal lattice work pattern and an intricate series of locks and latches littered the interior side.

Harry spoke to Cian as they walked down a long, open hall, footsteps ringing on white and gold swirled marble floors. "I noticed the top edge of the fence is tipped in pure silver. One of my closest friends is a werewolf, he was bitten as a young child. Will _Lucis Eterna_ or the wards around it cause him any harm or damage?"

"All are welcome here if they are accepted by the current Lord or Lady and worked into the wards, Lord Harry._ Lucis Eterna_ was once the stronghold of the Light families, it's primary usage was defense and protection of the Light leaders spouses' and children. Now it belongs to but one bloodline, that of the descendants of Solon, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin's son. _Lucis Eterna _answers to _you_, Lord Harry."

"What do you mean, answers?" Sirius said sharply.

"Just that, Lord Black. Once Lord Harry is worked into the wards, he will be able to 'hear' _Lucis Eterna. _To some degree, this keep is sentient. Some say it's 'voice' is male, others say female. I have listened to it for the longest and in my mind it is equally both and none."

Sirius warily followed Cian and Harry down the hallway. As he walked he thought, _I could learn to like this bugger if he stopped speaking in RIDDLES of all things._

**A/N: So what do you think of Lucis Eterna and Cian? Like I said above, you have to find out what his name means. Also, Cian is far more than he first appears as you will learn along with the rest of the gang. Review, please!**


	14. Thirteen: You Are Getting On My Nerves!

**A/N:**** Order meeting! Ron shows up and irritates Harry, lots of fun.**

**Twelve-**_ You Are Getting On My Nerves!_

Back in his Estel Gryferin personality, Harry stood next to Sirius and brushed his hair out of his face. They had just Apparated to Malfoy Manor; apparently Remus was back and had some bad news. Severus was with them this time; Polaris had been left in the capable and protecting hands of Cian. Severus had met the powerful wizard and told Harry that he was trustworthy but to still be wary of letting him in on just anything. Severus had been reluctant to leave Polaris in Cian's hands, but there was no way he wasn't going to come along and see Remus again.

They walked into the spacious Manor and the first thing Harry saw was none other than Ron. His back stiffened automatically until Sirius leaned sideways and whispered in his ear, "Remember, you don't _know_ Ron. Keep a handle on your temper, please?"

The concern hugely evident in grey eyes made Harry reluctantly nod. It made sense. As much as he may want to, he couldn't just walk up and blast Ron to smithereens, no matter how satisfying it might have been. He took a deep, steadying breath and sat down between Sirius and a wan and tired looking Remus. Severus had claimed Remus' opposite side and only due to a great deal of practice could Harry see the concern swirling in his dark eyes.

"Now that we are all here," Albus smiled benevolently at Remus, "if you would explain what you told me earlier to the rest of the Order."

Remus' eyes darkened. After a long moment he spoke, voice slightly hoarse from disuse. "First a bit of background Albus. Many of you have heard of a conflict between werewolves and vampires. Not known to most is the fact that it is nothing more than a myth. There is a standing treaty that is commonly referred to as the Lycan-Vampyre Alliance. It has been in place for over a thousand years, a mutual defense treaty between both sides and a vast, combined army."

"When the Ministry of Magic went after the dark _creatures_ the Vampires and Lycans came to a realisation. Though they were two of the most powerful dark races their infighting would lead to their extinction. Now the Vampires and Lycans rule the other dark creatures by a triumvirate called the Dark Ones. The Dark Ones are the oldest Vampire, Lycan and Dark Elf in existence. When I was staying with the packs this last time it came to my attention that Voldemort had approached the Dark Ones."

After a long moment Bill Weasley's eyes widened in shock. "He wants the help of their army," he breathed.

"Exactly," Albus said grimly. "Voldemort was always charismatic even as a young man. In return he can give them the freedom and equal standing they have craved for centuries. The Ministry has almost given Voldemort their help in this case, the persecution of the Dark Races as a group of _creatures_ is more of an insult than anything else in the eyes of the Alliance."

"Well that's it then," Harry said, staring just in front of him at the black and silver tablecloth. Gazing into the swirling patterns to gather his courage he lifted his head, looked at Albus and the rest of the Order and said, "We'll have to speak with the Dark Ones ourselves, convince them that with the end of the war we'll change their situation."

Albus' eyes narrowed. "I highly doubt the wizards of the world would consent to fighting with the Dark Races."

"And what did I say about them fighting?" Harry shot back coolly. "All we need to do is make it worthwhile for them to stay neutral like they have in every other war between witches and wizards."

"Why should we stop them?" Ron said rudely, glaring directly at Harry. "Wouldn't the magical world be better off if we took them out like we should have done centuries ago?"

As Remus flinched next to him Harry's eyes burned in fury. In a voice that could have frozen desert sand he said, "What is your name?"

"Ronald Weasley. You needn't bother to introduce yourself, I've heard about Sirius' gay lover."

Sirius' eyes narrowed to slits but Harry gripped his arm in warning. "Well then, _Ronald,_ I'm surprised to find you a member of the Order of the Phoenix with a viewpoint like _that._ You would fit in well with the pureblood imbeciles at the Ministry. What you are talking about is genocide, nothing less. As Albus just said, they are Dark _Races,_ which means that they are human beings. Purebloods have become a group of idiots if you're the usual stuff."

As Ron's face started to take on the same hue as his hair, Harry continued. "Let me give you a little history lesson, considering it's _obvious_ you never bothered to pay attention to that class. As little as a century ago the Werewolf Edicts didn't exist, nor did the _Creature_ Registry. Magical races and creatures held the same status as wizards and witches, their children were accepted to the same schools as our own. There are even elite academies of magic that are only open to those with creature blood."

"The reason for this was a very simple fact. A person with magical creature blood or descended from a magical race was considered pureblood due to the fact that their blood is in fact pure magic. It was considered an _HONOUR_ to have a person with that type of inheritance in your family and a blessing of the highest sort to have the love of a magical race. It was also considered beneficial to your bloodline as the magical races produced virtually _no squibs._ Every child born from a union with a magical race or creature produced children with very powerful magical talent."

Harry scowled and continued. "Then around the 1930's a few all-human wizarding families decided they didn't like the fact that most of the Ministry was run by someone that had at least one magical race or creature in their bloodlines. They were the forerunners of the 'Light' families. By bribery, various underhanded tactics and sometimes outright assassination to get them out of power. Afterwards they attacked the races and labeled them creatures, culminating in almost wiping out the lycans and driving the remaining vampire covens into hiding."

"Since then they have labeled them as 'Dark creatures' and the families that have their blood as 'Dark'. Salazar Slytherin was an Incubus; it was over subsequent centuries that he was degraded into the mad 'Dark Lord' that we read about in all _accepted _history texts. So tell me, Ronald, how much _creature_ blood do you have?"

By now Ron had turned the same shade as his hair if not a couple shades darker. Molly was shooting Harry venomous glares and snapped, "The Weasleys and Prewetts are pure _wizarding_ blood, Gryferin. I don't know where you got your information on Salazar Slytherin but you are obviously deluded. He was _Dark, _through and through. He created the Chamber of Secrets and sealed a _Basilisk _in there for Merlin's sake!"

"Recent research has proven that the Basilisk in question was in place to _guard_ every student at the school, not 'purge' it as the Light has convinced the magical world."

Molly puffed up and started to reply but was cut off by Albus. "You both bring up good points and you obviously paid attention in history, Mr. Gryferin. A great deal of pureblood bloodlines do have a significant amount of creature blood in them. Also, your idea is sound, though it would be difficult to get anywhere near the Dark Ones."

Ron glared at Harry and said nastily, "Perhaps since Gryferin is so pro-_creature_ he should be the one to approach the Dark Ones."

Albus paused, looking sharply at Harry. Then he smiled and his twinkling eyes sparkled even more than usual. "You do seem the type to be able to approach the Dark races without offending them. Would you be ameable to speaking with the Dark Ones?"

Harry took a deep breath and glared at Ronald. Looking at Albus and suppressing the urge to smother that damn twinkle he said softly, "I would be glad to help in any way possible, of course, Albus."

"That's settled then," Albus replied, beaming and obviously ignoring Sirius' deadly glare. "I think we can call this session to a halt. We will contact you by owl before the next meeting. Hopefully you will have some progress to report by then?" he pointed this at Harry.

Harry gritted his teeth and said smoothly, "I can't put a deadline on when I will gain the approval of the races, Albus. However, I will do my best to have _some_ positive news by then."

He stood gracefully and accompanied Sirius out of the Manor. They walked in silence to the Apparition barrier and disappeared. Severus was bringing Remus with him to _Lux Lucis Eterna._ Despite the serious situation Harry couldn't help but look forward to seeing Remus' reaction to _Lucis Eterna_ and its enigmatic manager.


	15. Fourteen: Always and Forever

**A/N: ****New update! Glad you liked the confrontation with Ron! BTW, I had no idea Cian was so important, I chose his name from Welsh Mythology names on www. behindthename .com Great website for names! The hint I was trying to give is the fact that his name means 'ancient'. As far as how old, you'll find out along with the rest of them!**

**NOTE: If there are any warnings, it would be for sweetness! ;)**

**Thirteen-**_ Always and Forever_

Sirius wandered around _Lucis Eterna,_ looking for Harry. Polaris was busy entertaining Cian, who seemed enamored of the small child. While still wary about the enigmatic guardian, Sirius trusted him to take care of their son. Remus' expression to both Cian and their new home had been entertaining, to say the least. Frustratingly, Remus was just as confused as the rest about Cian's age and exactly _what_ he was. The guardian used wandless magic with ease, his eyes were sharp and bird-like and according to Remus he smelled faintly like the gryphon even in human form.

Remembering the meeting last week he resisted a growl. Between Ron and Albus' manipulations, Harry had been forced to accept what was bound to be a very dangerous task. The Dark Ones were mistrusting of any human, the stories Sirius had heard of them as a child were terrifying. They were said to be amazingly beautiful and yet some of the coldest and most ruthless individuals alive. They were very old as well from what he knew. Far from reassuring Sirius, the last fact only made him more worried. It was highly unlikely that their immense age would affect their strength and they had been around for many centuries, gathering experience and power along the way.

Sirius stopped for a moment, trying to recognise where he was. _Lucis Eterna_ was massive, two stories with a complete cellar and furnished Potions lab below. It had cells as well, some were lined with silver, others made to prevent those with abilities like shadow-walking and invisibility from escaping. The cells had made Harry shudder and he had immediately left the room, vowing to never go in them again or let Polaris anywhere near them. Sirius agreed, though he privately entertained the idea of having Albus or Ronald in one of the cells.

After a moment he recognised the corridor and hurried along. Harry's office was just down the way, near the library they sometimes had trouble prying Hermione and Remus out of. Severus had his ways of getting Remus to leave, though Sirius had _no_ curiosity whatsoever about what those methods were. It was enough that he considered Severus a friend and tolerated him being with Remus. He most certainly didn't want to know what they did when they were alone.

Shuddering at the mental imagery he knocked on the tall oak door carved with the crest of _Lucis Eterna._ "Come in!"

Turning the handle he stepped into Harry's study he let the heavy door click shut quietly behind him, staring around in awe at the massive room. It was clear that this room was where _Lucis Eterna_ was commanded from. Sirius had his own private office as well, not too far down from here. No matter that Sirius was the dominant partner in their relationship, as the only fully-matured member of the Potter bloodline Harry controlled _Lucis Eterna_ and its wards.

Not that Sirius minded at all. The first couple of weeks especially after being keyed into the wards Harry had suffered massive headaches. _Lucis Eterna_ was sentient to a point and centuries old. As such it was an extremely obstinate presence and resented being controlled. The wards longed to taste magic, as they had demonstrated when Sirius and Harry had first arrived.

Not for nothing was Harry one of the most stubborn individuals Sirius had ever met, however. After the initial few weeks Harry had easily bent the wards to his will and he rarely ever had trouble with them. Stepping around the sturdy desk he stopped behind Harry's chair and reached out with both hands, rubbing lightly against his temples.

Harry sighed softly in pleasure and hummed. "That feels heavenly, Siri. What have you been up to today?"

"Nothing much. I asked the house elves to set up something for us outside by the lake, thought you'd appreciate a picnic lunch."

Harry swung the chair around, though Sirius had anticipated the move and stepped back. Emerald eyes shimmered happily and he said, "That sounds good. Is there anything we're waiting on?"

"Nope, just came to get you. Polaris is staying here, he'll eat with the others on the patio. Remus mentioned something about taking him swimming in the pool afterwards."

Apparently one of _Lucis Eterna_'s last overlords had decided that the youngsters deserved some fun and had installed an in-ground pool with a diving board and slide. Not to be outdone by the youngsters, there was also a lovely hot-tub that tapped into natural mineral springs. The tub could easily seat 12 adults. Sirius had been teaching Harry how to handle the estate's horses and some equitation lessons, Harry now knew first-hand the hot tub was great for soaking sore muscles.

Harry laughed. "Polaris will love that! I swear, Remus is going to spoil him rotten. He knows Polaris loves the pool, especially in this heat. I still can't believe that August is so hot this year."

"Hmm," Sirius agreed. It had been unseasonably warm this year. "Come on, you need to change. I figured you would like to ride out there with me, which is why I didn't just Apparate both of us."

Harry smiled and flicked his wrist, vanishing the papers he'd been working on. He stood and stretched lazily. "I'll meet you at the stables, yeah?" he said with a grin.

Sirius nodded and headed in the direction of the pastures and stables. The manor boasted a large breeding program of both high-class regular Arabian horses along with the rarer and far more expensive Arabian Pegasus. Remus had been delighted at the stables; apparently one of his favourite hobbies when he was a child had been trail-riding in the forests around his childhood home. He had even coaxed Severus out there, where the snarky Potions Master had promptly surprised both his lover and Sirius by knowing a thing or two about horseback riding.

Apparently it was considered a proper pureblood thing to know how to ride, and when Severus had become friends with Lucius his dignified friend had made sure Severus knew what he was doing. Malfoy Manor boasted a Thoroughbred breeding program, Draco had surprised everyone by saying they even took their horses to the Ascot meet every year for the races. It was an immensely profitable venture; a couple of their horses had even won the Gold Cup at the Ascot meet.

Sirius grinned when he saw that his and Harry's favourite horses had already been saddled. Harry's horse was a silvery-white stallion that had a bit of a rotten temper with anyone but Harry. Surprisingly the horse also appeared to like Polaris and was surprisingly gentle whenever Harry brought their son along on a small ride in the fields. As Sirius approached the animal flattened its ears and bared its teeth at him. He scowled and skirted him carefully, greeting his own black with a lump of sugar and a soft caress to the neck.

There was a small _pop_ and Harry appeared just to his right, away from the horses so he didn't startle them. Turned out that once a person was keyed into the wards they could Apparate in and out of _Lucis Eterna_ as well as inside the wards. According to Harry, a very nasty surprise awaited anyone who _wasn't_ keyed in and tried that particular trick. Harry's deranged horse whinnied loudly at the sight of him, prompting a fond laugh from Harry, who offered a far healthier snack of a chunk of apple and rubbed the dainty ears.

"That horse is insane," Sirius grumbled. Harry just smiled sweetly and said,

"You just say that because he doesn't like you."

"Exactly!" Sirius pouted, "what about me isn't there to like?"

Harry snickered with laughter and untied the stallion, leading him away from the hitching post and swinging up in one smooth motion. Just like flying, horseback riding appeared to come to Harry naturally. Sirius had to admit that the pair made a gorgeous picture, waiting there in the sunlight for him.

He swung up onto his horse and said mischievously, "First one there gets first dibs on the treacle tart!"

Before Harry could answer Sirius' horse sprang into a canter, Harry's indignant yelp and quick hoof beats answering. Once they were out of the stable yard and into the open grass the two horses sped into a free, easy gallop.

Harry sprang from the saddle near the lake a few moments later with a triumphant, "Hah! I won anyway, even after you tried to cheat!"

"I had to!" Sirius pouted again. "That monster you call a horse is better over distances. Had to even it up somehow!"

"I'll let you beat me on the way back," Harry soothed. Sirius could see him fighting a laugh when he perked up immediately.

The pair sprawled out elegantly on the checkered blanket as Sirius poured a generous measure of a gourmet ice wine into a pair of delicately fluted glasses. Lunch turned out to be a main course of grilled chicken with white rice and mixed vegetables and a side of two small bowls of fruit salad.

While Harry set to demolishing his piece of chicken, Sirius retrieved a small velvet bag and nervously placed it on Harry's plate of treacle tart before replacing the lid. He stared at the plate for a moment before digging into his own lunch. They ate mostly in silence, finally toward the end Sirius mentioned a topic they'd both been avoiding.

"Harry, why did you agree to meet with the Dark Ones? The things I've heard about them…" Sirius trailed off.

Harry sighed, took a sip of his wine and thought about his answer for a few moments. "I don't know, Sirius. I've heard of them as well and I still can't figure out why I agreed. Some of the stories are just awful. But I have to wonder if they aren't just that. You have to admit that it's kind of the same idea as Voldemort, everyone going around calling him 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' and all that crap. All I know is that I'm going to have to be honest with them."

"You're going to meet them as yourself," Sirius whispered. "Harry, let me go with you at least. I know you want to do this alone to gain their trust, but I can't stand the idea of you meeting three of the most dangerous people in the wizarding world on your own."

Harry didn't look up for a long moment, when he finally did Sirius was terrified he was going to disagree. He could see it in Harry's expressive eyes, the desire to keep him safe. After the Department of Mysteries fiasco in Harry's fifth year his young love was afraid of losing him to his own actions. Harry bit his lip, looking down again.

"All right, Siri. You can come with me, if it means that much to you. But you have to keep your temper, please?"

Sirius let out a heavy sigh of relief and nodded. He would agree to anything now that Harry was going to let him come along. He tensed for an entirely different reason when Harry pulled the small plate of treacle tart to him. He lifted off the lid and froze.

Sirius held his breath as Harry picked up the small blue velvet drawstring bag and looked at him curiously. Too slowly for Sirius' tastes Harry untied the strings and upended the bag into the palm of his hand. Harry's hiss of breath was the only indicator that he realised what he held in his open hand.

This was the only tradition Sirius ever intended to keep from his family. The engagement ring in Harry's hand was from the secondary set of family rings in the Black vaults. It was made of white gold in a delicate pattern of Celtic knots; each of the knots was liberally dusted with small diamonds, amethysts and rubies. It worked perfectly for his purposes since the amethyst was the birthstone for both himself and Polaris, while the ruby belonged to Harry.

"Harry," he forced himself to speak, aware that his voice was a bit crackly. "I love you so very much. The relationship between us was never a normal one, but I have never been gladder that something in my life isn't normal. I wanted to do this before you went to Azkaban but I always chickened out. While you were in there I was furious with myself, I couldn't help but think that I would never get this chance to tell you how much you mean to me. Will you bond with me, please?"

Harry looked up at him with eyes that were magnified by unshed tears. After a couple of tense moments when all Sirius was aware of was the pounding of his heart in his ears Harry flung himself at Sirius, knocking them both back to the grass as he kissed him. Startled at first, Sirius gladly responded, cheering quietly at the nonverbal but definite yes.

When the pair finally broke the kiss Sirius hauled them both to a sitting position with effort and took the ring from Harry's hand. He slid it onto Harry's finger and linked his arms around Harry's waist, grinning like a loon. Harry was gazing at the ring and after a second chuckled softly.

"What's so funny, love?" Sirius murmured.

"The ring is just fitting. Amethyst for February and ruby for July. Isn't the diamond the birthstone for April, Siri?"

"Yes, why?" Sirius asked.

"Your second child is due mid-April," Harry said bluntly, watching his face.

It took Sirius' brain a moment to process what Harry said. Once it did he looked at Harry, blinking and no doubt sporting an ear-to-ear grin. The last thing he heard before pure blackness caught up with him was Harry's giggles turning into full-blown laughter.

_I'll get him for that, _Sirius promised himself vaguely.


	16. Fifteen: The Dark Ones

**A/N: ****Wow, I'm glad you guys like this so much! Now I need your input, boy/girl and name suggestions for the new baby. In this chapter you meet the Dark Ones. Read & review, please. If it's any consolation on the days it took to write this, it's massively long!**

**Fourteen-**___The____Dark____Ones_

As he and Sirius were preparing to leave and meet the Dark Ones Harry could only roll his eyes. Their child wasn't due until the following April and Sirius was already being overprotective. He quietly debated whether or not it had been a good thing to tell Sirius just then but the damage was already done. Now he had to grit his teeth and put up with it for the moment, restraining a strong urge to hex his fiancé. He smiled softly to himself at the word, remembering the happy reactions from the others when they'd seen the ring.

Once they'd explained it to Polaris and he understood what it meant the little boy had tackled his daddy and hugged him breathless. Pol was quite attached to his daddy and very much enjoyed the idea of being stuck with him permanently. While a bit more dignified than the 2 ½ year old Remus had been equally enthusiastic. Severus had simply smiled, which was the stoic man's version of his more excitable lover's reaction. To Harry's surprise his father's portrait had only pleasant things to say and seemed genuinely happy for them. Though Sirius would never say so, James' quiet reaction meant a great deal to him, especially after his initial reaction to the pair.

Harry was already in his 'Estel' personality, though he'd dressed with a bit more care than he did for an Order meeting. Harry refused to hide his engagement to Sirius and wore the ring proudly even in his disguise, which would no doubt provide an entertaining reaction at the next Order meeting. As far as Harry was concerned, Estel Gryferin was the only person the Order would ever meet until the triumphant day when he finally proved that Ronald Bilius Weasley had killed his own sister for the Dark Lord's cause. On that day he would be happy to slap his innocence in the face of Albus Dumbledore and Molly Weasley. This was far from a simple grudge however.

Molly Weasley had been the first person he met truly in the magical world after Hagrid; he had looked up to her like his own mother. In his own way he had enjoyed her pampering and overprotective nature. As he grew up it had gotten severely annoying and like any teen, he had chafed against her restrictions. She had been comfort and safety, had given him food that prevented him from starving during his summers with the Dursleys. Albus Dumbledore had been the venerable old Headmaster, the man he trusted above all others to do what was _right._ Though he had hated going back to the Dursleys ever summer holiday, Albus said it was for his protection, so it must be true. Dumbledore had acted like his champion, his guard and mentor for 6 ½ years.

Then the Aurors had come for him at the school and he'd seen Albus' eyes filled with disappointment and disgust. The warm, sparkling blue had turned to shards of ice. The Headmaster had forsaken him, had left him to the Ministry he held so much influence in without a second thought. Molly Weasley had come to his trial and he'd felt his spirits lift, thinking the mother figure in his life would support him still. She had sat motionless as they pronounced him guilty and when he'd approached her let go with every bitter and resentful comment she could think off, all aimed to hurt deeply.

She had done much more damage than she may have thought. Harry's self-confidence was already not the highest and having the motherly witch tear into him and tell him he was better off dead and out of her hair had hurt. She hadn't even tried to listen to him, believing in his guilt because the government she trusted so blindly said it was true. Never mind the fact they had done the exact same thing with Sirius. Now when he looked back it reminded him of his own naivety and innocence in trusting Albus. When the truth came out, she would no doubt fall just as hard as he had. And just like she had done to him Harry would stand by and watch impassively instead of offering a hand or a supporting word.

Harry may be a Gryffindor, but he had almost been sorted into Slytherin. Now that side of him was coming out with a vengeance. At the moment Harry felt no need to suppress it. After he exposed Ron and got rid of the Dark Lord he would pull it back under control. Possibly it would play a bit longer as he dealt with Albus' theft of his accounts. Smirking to himself he remembered the just punishments he'd set up with the goblins. It meant more money for them and free labor and he'd surprised them with his ruthlessness. Goblins were a bit blood-thirsty but his severe form of dealing with Dumbledore had given him their respect.

"What are you thinking about?" Sirius asked.

"Not much, Siri. Just people's reactions to our engagement and what to do with the Weasley problem. By the way, Siri, I'm a month pregnant, not six or seven. Try and relax, okay?"

Sirius gave him a sheepish, embarrassed smile and said softly, "I promise to try Harry. But you have to give me a little leeway yourself. I wasn't there for you with Polaris and I just want you to have a happier, easier time with this one."

Harry could have kicked himself if physically possible. "I'm sorry, Padfoot. I just caught up with what we're doing today and—"

He was abruptly cut off when Sirius kissed him. He leaned lightly into his fiancé's touch, answering Sirius' firm kiss with his own slightly more forceful one. He was actually in danger of becoming light-headed when Sirius finally backed off and rested his forehead against Harry's own.

"I know you forgot love, it's easy to do so. Polaris and I get along so well it's hard to believe sometimes that I wasn't there from your pregnancy on. I'm just reminding you of that, trying to explain why I'm acting this way. Believe me; you'll probably want to hex me later on with the amount of hovering I'll probably end up doing!"

They shared a soft laugh before Sirius asked, "Where are we meeting our contact?"

Harry let out a soft sigh of resignation and set his mind to business. "Knockturn Alley. Oddly enough it's the same werewolf I healed there in early July."

"Hmm. I highly doubt that's a coincidence, don't you?"

Harry gave Sirius a look. "Siri, around me there's no such thing as a coincidence. Now let's go, you remember the condition I gave you?"

Sirius pouted and eventually grumbled when Harry continued to give him a flat stare. "All right, I remember. Even if the Dark Ones act like arrogant gits, Slytherin in other words, I can't mouth off or attempt to hex _or_ prank them."

Resisting the urge to let his twitching lip turn into a laugh Harry smiled and leaned against Sirius. A few breathless moments later they were standing in Knockturn Alley, not far from Borgin and Burkes. Shuddering as he remembered his disastrous first attempt at using the Floo Network Harry straightened and linked his arm through Sirius', moving down the shadier version of Diagon Alley. The pair attracted only a few curious looks, mostly due to their highly respectable appearances. Harry refused to dress like the majority of Knockturn's residents however.

They were halfway down the Alley when Harry saw their contact sitting casually at a table across from a grubby-looking little pub. Harry nudged Sirius and discreetly cast his gaze in the lycan's direction. Sirius nodded in understanding and pulled Harry over to a display. Neither one of them were looking directly at the objects, both were instead studying the wolf to make sure he was alone as agreed. He appeared to be and Harry moved in his direction.

Within speaking distance he said, "I'm glad to see you are feeling better."

The lycan looked up, studied him for a moment and gold-tinted blue eyes widened. "You're the one who healed me after those two Death Eaters came wandering through here in July."

"Indeed," Harry replied lightly. "Who would have guessed that you would be my contact for meeting the Dark Ones?"

"Why do you wish to speak with the Dark Ones?" the wolf's voice was slightly raspy, a sign of damage to his vocal cords from conflicts with other lycans.

Harry leaned slightly against the table and said in a low, firm voice, "I wish to speak with them regarding the recent _proposition_ they have received from Lord Voldemort."

Surprisingly the lycan didn't flinch in the slightest at the name. "We will be using a Portkey. You and your companion must agree on your magic not to attack the Dark Ones unless provoked."

Harry and Sirius exchanged a quiet, wordless glance. Sirius was obviously apprehensive with the idea, but nodded reluctantly. They gave their magically binding word and their blue-eyed companion grinned. "My name is Rayith by the way."

He held out a small coin, barely larger than a Galleon. Harry touched it with one finger as Sirius did the same, placing an arm around his waist. Harry closed his eyes and thought, _I HATE Portkeys._

When they landed Sirius nervously looked around, scanning his surroundings. They were in a large, mostly empty foyer. The guide rails on the massive staircase immediately in front of them were made of obsidian, the floor white marble with a blood-red carpet down the exact middle. The floor they stood on was made of black and white swirled marble. It was both very grand and very intimidating, he decided.

Sirius felt jumpy without a wand in his hand. He had heard too many stories of the Dark Ones as a child and he feared their abilities. Nobody knew exactly what three races the Dark Ones represented, though all stories agreed that one was a very, _very_ old Vampire. That alone was enough to make him nervous. Vampires only grew more powerful and stronger with age, instead of weaker. A thousand-year old vampire had power and strength a newly-created one couldn't even imagine.

Harry's face was mostly expressionless as they followed their guide, Rayith. He was an attractive individual, with corn-silk coloured hair and bright blue eyes. With one sentence from Harry he had recognised him as his saviour and from what Sirius could read of his expression, seemed grateful for the aid. From what Harry had told him, Rayith would have died if not for his help.

After their long climb up the staircase Rayith took a left and led them along another hallway, decorated exactly the same as the previous. He stopped at the end of the hallway in front of two massive wood doors. "I will let the Dark Ones know you have arrived."

Once the door had shut behind Rayith he turned to Harry and said, "If this goes bad Harry we could be in a lot of trouble. Not only will they get the first blow in but I felt those wards we arrived, did you?"

Harry looked at him with slightly worried eyes and nodded. The anti-Apparition and Portkey wards around this place were powerful. It must have been keyed so that only the Portkeys the Dark Ones authorised would get through. Escape would be difficult or near-impossible with werewolves and possibly vampires around.

Not for the first time he cursed Albus for forcing this task on Harry. He had only been defending Remus, after all. Sirius himself had been shocked with Harry's knowledge of the creature blood in the pureblood families and the origins of the so-called 'Dark' and 'Light' families. _But_ _then_, he thought fondly, _Harry_ _is_ _always_ _surprising_ _people_.

It seemed like they only stood there for a few more minutes before the door opened again and Rayith slipped through. The werewolf didn't shut it behind him this time, instead saying in a slightly curt tone, "Follow me."

As they stepped through the door it immediately shut behind them, the dull 'click' of the well-oiled latch sounded eerily final to Sirius. Gulping slightly he thought, _get a hold of yourself! For all you know those stories were just that, kid's tales meant to frighten._

The room they had entered had a short hallway and a wide, circular dais all the way around the outer edge. There were three chairs in the shadows; Sirius could barely make out the ornately carved feet of said chairs. Swallowing he decided to take his cues from Harry. When Harry reached the exact middle of the circle he stopped and dropped to both knees, resting his hands on his lap, head bowed.

Sirius did the same, albeit reluctantly. It was both obvious and amazingly subtle on Harry's part. He was simultaneously acknowledging that they were vulnerable to the Dark Ones and increasing the vulnerability as a sign of respect. It would be difficult to near impossible to move swiftly from such a position, especially with three seated creatures of vast age, intelligence and power.

After a few minutes a voice spoke up. It was female and exceptionally sharp. "What is your name, petitioner?"

"I am called Estel Gryferin, Lady. The one next to me is my fiancé, Lord Sirius Orion Black."

"Rayith has implied that you are of the Light wizards, Estel Gryferin. The name of Black is anything but Light."

"I would consider myself more neutral than Light, Lady. My beloved is an unusual member of his family, for several reasons."

A rumbling, demanding male baritone voice spoke this time, "Why have you come before us?"

"We have received word that you entertained a petition from some that follow the Dark Lord Voldemort, Lord. We wished to offer a counter to his request."

Sirius winced. _This could go badly,_ he thought. The Dark Ones wouldn't be pleased to hear they knew of the meeting.

Even as he thought this he registered the total, absolute silence. He was so used to people reacting violently to Voldemort's name being spoken aloud that it struck him as surprising. As he thought about it though, it made sense. These beings were probably centuries older than Voldemort; he was but a child to them.

"Indeed we have, Estel Gryferin," the male voice spoke again. "Whoever is giving you information is quite accurate."

"Why do you and your mate refuse to look at us?" A third voice said, tone almost a growl. It was definitely male and a little higher than the other rumbling baritone.

"I do not look at you out of respect," Harry replied. "My fiancé was raised in wizarding tradition and has heard one too many stories as a child about the Dark Ones."

"Your respect is acknowledged, _parum unus_. Now we ask that you look at us," the female spoke up again for the first time.

Sirius looked up and the first thought that crossed his mind was, _at least one of the stories was accurate._ The figure on the far left, closest to him was a vampire. This particular vampire was ancient; the power that swirled in his violet eyes was immense. He possessed pale skin and blood-red hair, which made an interesting combination with the deep purple eyes.

The middle figure was the female and Sirius was hard-put to not jump in surprise at the pair of very familiar onyx eyes. It was disconcerting to look up into a stranger and see Severus Snape's eyes staring back. Vaguely he wondered if they were related in any way. The long hair that touched the floor behind her chair was pure white and her pale golden skin had delicate, ornate tattoos in dark blue.

The figure closest to Harry was reclined casually in his chair, one black-leather clad leg over the arm. His eyes were a deep, rich gold-brown and the short, spiky hair was a dark gold. There was a fierce intelligence in his eyes and something else, something very old and powerful. Sirius looked away after a moment, wondering about the last figure in particular.

The woman spoke again after a moment. "Much better. Conversation becomes awkward when half are staring at the floor. I am called Lady Aislin. You would not have seen my kind before in many years, so I will say that I am one of the last of the Cloud People, more commonly called the Sky Elves."

"I am a vampire and as for my name, you may call me Deneb."

"I am a Lycan, ancestor of the werewolves," the man on Harry's end spoke. "The most common name I have gone by is Rohan."

"You said you come here to offer us a counter to Voldemort's offer. Do you know the specifics of his offer? It is very tempting for us to be able to walk amongst wizards without fear of persecution or discrimination. Especially for my people, who have been greatly affected by the rogue Fenrir Greyback's reputation."

"In return he is asking you for help in his war, for the open use of your army. I may not know all the specifics, but I do know that the wizarding world already mistrusts your kind. Many of you will die for this cause. I am determined to win this war, and if he loses, what then? Your people will be prosecuted more than they already are. The Ministry may even bring back the Purges. Is this what you desire, Lord Rohan?"

"You speak both convincing and dangerous words, Estel Gryferin. Why would you care what happens to my people one way or the other?"

"Because a man that I see as a father is one of your people, Lord Rohan. He is also one of the most honourable, kind-hearted and intelligent men I know. He has dealt with the prejudice your people fight for over 30 years and still he hopes for a peace and future where he may do what he wishes with his life. His name is Remus Lupin."

"Where have I heard that name?" Rohan mused aloud. "Ah yes, I remember now. He was a teacher at Hogwarts one year, wasn't he? Parents threw a fit and made him leave; the very next year that awful female called him a 'rabid creature' or something similar in an article on past Defense teachers."

"He was the best teacher I ever had," Harry said softly. Sirius looked sideways at Harry, surprised to hear his vehement vocal support and opinion of Remus. "Have you ever told him any of that?"

"No. I don't want to embarrass him and you know how modest and self-effacing he is."

"If you wish to be honest with us," Deneb said sharply, breaking their conversation, "you will tell us why you wear glamour."

Harry's eyes widened. He swallowed and said, "I wear glamour because I am in danger from the wizarding world as well. I know what it is like to be ostracised, Lord Deneb. All my life I have either been saviour or scapegoat for wizarding kind. Finally they went too far and broke my trust. I still fight alongside them because I know what will become of our world if Voldemort wins. As far as the glamour, I will remove it."

Harry whispered a word under his breath and the glamour dropped. "My name is truly Harry James Potter, council. I am sorry for the deception, but I did not wish to reveal myself if you had already decided to help Voldemort, as the thing he desires most is my death and absolute power."

"What would you want in return, Harry Potter?" Aislin demanded. "That we fight for the Light instead, with those that hate and fear us?"

"No, I would ask that you remain neutral as you have for centuries. In return I swear on my magic that when I win, for I refuse to think of the consequences otherwise, I will do everything in my power to reduce or eliminate the Creature restrictions and bring the bloodlines back to their former place in the magical world, so mote it be."

Harry's magic flared with the last three words, swirling around his kneeling form in a complex series of coloured ribbons. Sirius had always felt the depth of Harry's power, but seeing it in a visible rainbow of colours was something else entirely. It was hypnotizing in it's beautiful yet terrible strength and he could see the Dark Ones watching Harry.

At last Lady Aislin spoke. "You have our word that we shall remain neutral, Harry Potter. Do not make us regret this promise, young one. We may have many centuries of age, but we are not ones to cross lightly."

"I never shall, Lady. Thank you," Harry stood carefully and bowed deeply at the waist, Sirius following.

As they followed Rayith out of the chamber, Sirius realised he was shaking. Once they had been escorted beyond the wards, he wrapped his arms tightly around Harry and they disappeared.

**A/N:**** So what do you think of the Dark Ones? My favorite is Rohan. He popped into my head just as he's described, leg over the arm of his chair and everything.**

**Aislin: Irish for 'dream, vision'**

**Deneb: Arabic, the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus**

**Rohan: Indian for 'Ascending'**

_**parum unus: **_**Latin for 'little one'**


	17. Sixteen: Insulted or Not Insulted?

**A/N:**** Here's the next update for Guided. This is from the perspective of Severus, a rare viewpoint in this story. I don't think I will ever do first person, it irritates me to write that way. Nothing's changed, so I still don't own Harry Potter. :( I just realized I never put a disclaimer up on my stories.**

**Sixteen- **_Insulted or Not Insulted?_

Once again it was time for the inhabitants of _Lux Eterna _to attend a meeting of the Order. Severus was leaning against one of the support pillars on the front porch, customary scowl gracing his features. As much of a relief as it was to get away from the crowded bustle at Malfoy Manor it now made for an even larger migraine than usual when he _did_ have to attend one of the meetings. _Yet_ _another_ _double_-_edged_ _sword_, he grumbled to himself. Severus was all too familiar with the phrase and had been for over 20 years.

He watched, lips twitching in an attempt to smile, as young Polaris said a temporary goodbye to his parents. Severus had been fully prepared to dislike Polaris as much as he initially had Sirius and Harry, but the tiny boy had made that impossible from that first morning at Grimmauld. The little one had personality and fire, yet he could be outright sneaky when he wanted to. Pol was also quietly intelligent and curious, always willing to help in the smallest of ways.

In a way, Polaris Black reminded him of himself when he was younger, before the days when his early choices had come back to bite with a vengeance. He could fully well see Polaris ending up in Slytherin and a quiet smirk crossed his features as he imagined _that _particular Sorting. As if his unusual thoughts were a Summoning Charm he felt someone looking at him. He flicked onyx eyes up to meet warm amber and gave his beloved a politely puzzled and innocent expression.

Remus snorted slightly and said something to Harry. The young Potter Lord turned to look at him, one eyebrow arched in an annoyingly familiar expression. Severus resisted a scowl at having his own expression turned on him and looked away to Harry's small laugh of amusement.

"Are we ready then?" he asked in his usual acerbic tone.

Sirius nodded and just as they were preparing to leave a soft voice said, "Bye Sev'us."

Severus blinked and turned back. Polaris was standing quietly next to Cian, a quiet and almost solemn expression on his small face. Severus was unable to block the small smile as he replied, "We will be back, Polaris."

He turned around and continued on his way to the open front landscape, ignoring the no-doubt grinning faces of his companions. Once in an open spot he concentrated on the sweeping land of Malfoy Manor and Apparated.

He still wouldn't look at them as he walked through the iron gates and only spared a roll of his eyes at the albino peacocks that strolled over the grounds. Lucius' obsession with the damn birds only confirmed his empty-headed vanity in Severus' eyes. But Lucius still was one of his first friends from the moment of his own Sorting, a fifth year Prefect to Severus' shy first year self.

Ronald Weasley was once again present and Severus restrained the almost desperate desire to expose the red-head for the arrogant hypocrite that he was. With effort he ignored the urge and sat down next to Remus at an empty spot on the long ebony wood table. The high-backed chairs were a relief; he could relax against them and still keep the rigidly straight posture he was known for. He crossed his hands in his lap, freeing his hickory wand and waited for the meeting to begin.

Had Albus known he always kept a grip on his wand during a meeting he might have disapproved, but Severus didn't care. Old habits die hard and amongst the Death Eaters it was asking for trouble to not have one's wand at quick availability. Excluding a select few (mostly those he had arrived with), Severus trusted this lot about as much as he did the Death Eaters.

As he watched Harry breeze in lightly with Sirius, absent-minded airhead clearly in place, he had to grudgingly admit he was a _very_ good actor. He remembered all-too-well the aftermath of 'Estel's' first meeting and the Order's disbelief that Albus had accepted him. He noted with interest that Harry played the role with a certain amount of vindication, taking any available opportunity to bring the Weasley family down a peg or two. He held, Severus mused, a formidable grudge.

Not for the first time Severus wondered what might have happened had Harry been Sorted into Slytherin house like he was originally meant for. Every day showed more and more Slytherin traits that had been carefully covered up and exploited amongst the house of lions. Harry was extremely cunning, only in his case it was under a very innocent front and he used the brash bravery and foolish heart of a Gryffindor to hide behind. It was a very clever shield and had certainly fooled him for 6 years.

Harry openly rested his hands on top of the table, intertwining the right with the heirloom engagement ring with Sirius's left. His expression was one of innocent, dreamy intelligence, appearing to be paying attention to not a single thing around him.

The meeting finally began as Albus sat down at the head of the long table. Severus could see Lucius' scowl from here, it really was presumptuous of the Headmaster to usurp that position in Lucius' own Manor. Out of sheer politeness and any form of etiquette Albus should have given the spot to Lucius. It was just as easy to conduct a meeting from the middle of the table. But that wouldn't support Albus' image of his own importance.

Severus had long known Albus to be a manipulative bastard, the man had shown that when he had approached him that night, desperate to save a childhood friend from his own mistake. In response for promising to _try_ and help out, Albus had gained his own double-agent. It had left Severus in a thankless position, openly hated by one side and _dead_ if the other found out about him. But still, the _depth _of Albus' manipulations had shaken him badly. Almost openly setting up the death of the Potters, binding Harry's magic through his wand, using a few smaller Potter vaults to back his war… it went on and on.

_And this,_ he thought, _is the man who holds so much influence in the Ministry, not to mention being Chief of the Wizengamot._ It was not a pleasant thought.

Even though he'd heard it once before Severus paid close attention to Harry's recounting of his meeting with the Dark Ones. That he had gained the audience, let alone convinced the Three to stay out of the war was incredible. Harry's explanation of the audience was the same as last time, with the noticeable lack of the revelation of his true identity to the Three. Severus would have been interested to meet them, but from what Sirius had explained about the short, tense meeting he would rather remain curious and avoid the meeting.

Of course, the one Remus had been the most interested in was Rohan, the lycan. It had been a common belief that the original progenitors of the werewolf race were all dead; to hear that one of the oldest was still alive was an intriguing fact. He knew his lover was immensely curious in the lycan and his possible knowledge. Lycans were said to be a foul-tempered if powerful lot, from what Harry had described the foul temper was nothing more than myth.

The meeting was surprisingly short. To Severus' private amusement it took the Order until the very end to notice the plainly visible ring on Harry's finger. The first one to speak up was Sirius' cousin Nymphadora Tonks.

"Congratulations," she said enthusiastically, waving at the ring. "I'm surprised you followed family tradition on anything, Sirius. That ring," she added to Harry, "has been in the Black family since the origins of the family tree."

Harry's eyes widened marginally, apparently he hadn't known that. "Thank you," he smiled over-brightly in return. "This git neglected to mention that though!"

Black shrugged, humour dancing in grey eyes. "Didn't seem important. You know how much value I put on things from my family."

"Absolutely none," Harry laughed in return.

Appearing to struggle for an attempt at being polite, Ronald asked, "When is the bonding?"

Harry waved a hand negligently and said, "Oh, we're thinking about winter. Doesn't matter though, as we're keeping it to close friends and such."

Remus snorted in concealed laughter. Severus almost wanted to join him as Ronald visibly tried to puzzle out whether or not he'd been insulted. He could see when the red-head gave up and watched Harry's small, vindictive smirk. Molly Weasley however _knew_ they'd been slighted and glared at 'Estel' with hard blue eyes. Harry merely smiled innocently in return.

Their group stood and made their excuses to the Order, ready to return to _Lux Eterna._ Before leaving Severus discreetly pressed a piece of rolled-up parchment in Narcissa's hand with their address. Nodding curtly at Albus he swept out of the room, ignoring Remus' small laugh at the movement. It was his usual style, not to mention immensely entertaining to watch people try and puzzle out how he did it. _Plus,_ he thought with a small smirk, _it was just plain flashy._

**A/N: I just realized that the chapter numbers are messed up. I'll fix them later. I don't know if anyone else noticed but things like that bug me. Cheers!**


	18. Seventeen: Of Prophecies

**A/N:**** Sorry this took so long! I lost inspiration for a while. Here's the next chapter right away. Short, but it's something to get us going again. Plus, there's a poll on my author's page if you would be so kind to take a look. BTW, dates written in the actual chapter are in European format DD/MM/YYYY.**

**Seventeen- **_Of Prophecies (31__st__ October)_

Harry was feeling quite moody today. He had wandered about _Lux Eterna _without any sense of satisfaction, dropping in on each of its various inhabitants. Though currently his beautiful son Polaris was laughing happily at a conjured cat and ball of yarn he'd produced, there still was not a hint of a smile or laughter in his eyes. He knew exactly why, of course. It was today's date that had plunged him into his current sulk.

_Halloween_, he thought bitterly, _is never going to be my favourite holiday._

Not even speaking to the images of his parents had brought any form of comfort. For all that they had James and Lily's mannerisms and personalities; there was no substance to them, no depth. They were hollow and in a way he regretted ever bringing them out of the vault. He wanted his parents, not portraits supposed to act like them. Harry knew he was acting petty; after all he wasn't the only one who had lost someone important that night.

That's why Severus went about his duties with an extreme vindictiveness, Remus was currently diving into the thickest, oldest and most difficult book he could find and Sirius was heartily laughing at remembered pranks with his father's portraits, all the while ignoring the fact that it _wasn't_ his best friend laughing with him. They were all trying, in their own way, to pass the day as if it were any other and not when four lives had been shattered. For Harry knew it had affected each of the adults just as badly if not worse than it had for him. He had been a mere babe, unable to remember anything of his parents but brief flashes.

But Severus could remember Lily's cleverness and laughter, Remus could remember James' loyalty to his friends and skill in Transfiguration and Sirius remembered his wit and personality. It was a wealth of memories, a wealth that Harry often envied. But he didn't envy any of them today. He may not have as many memories of his parents, but on today of all days the memories would only cause pain. That richness and flavour of their friendships came back to haunt them with fleeting wisps, like that of the faint lingering smell of a perfume. While it may have a hint of sweetness and familiarity, it left behind nothing but empty air.

He was sitting on a bench, watching his son play in the grass and fallen leaves, when a long shadow fell across his shoulder. Looking behind him he noticed Cian, the enigmatic guardian of _Lux Eterna._ The man watched Pol playing for a moment with a smile quirking his thin, sharp mouth before he looked into Harry's eyes.

He stayed that way for a while before his own golden eyes flashed and narrowed. "Pain lurks behind your eyes, Lord Harry. What could cause that depth in your young age?"

Startled, Harry looked at him for a long moment and said finally, "It's the 31st of October."

"Yes," he said flatly in reply, "Halloween or Samhain as the old ways called it. The last I knew it was a day of celebrations, not sorrow."

"You do not know how my parents died then?" Harry asked, astonished.

"While your father may have been Lord Potter, I never met him and so never tracked his life, Lord Harry. He passed through beneath my gaze."

Cian's way of phrasing things almost sounded like he was offering clues, but they were too few and far between for Harry to understand. He felt a healthy amount of respect and caution around the guardian nonetheless.

Careful to keep his own emotions out of his voice, Harry explained what had happened on the night of 31st October, 1981. Cian stood behind him the entire time, golden eyes unblinking as he listened intently. When Harry had finished, he frowned and said, "Forgive me, Lord Harry, but I see no reason why a grown Dark wizard would go after a babe of little more than one year."

"That was because of a prophecy," Harry replied.

Cian's eyes flashed and he said slowly, "I see. Would you mind repeating the prophecy for me?"

"_The one who will vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, born as the seventh month dies. Born to parents who have thrice defied him and the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal. He shall have power the Dark Lord knows not. The one who will vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, born as the seventh month dies."_

Cian thought for a moment and said, "You are the sole qualifier?"

"It could have been another, but the part about a mark disqualifies him. I am after all, very well known for my scar," Harry smiled grimly.

"Do not act impulsively on this prophecy, Lord Harry. They are fickle things, and this one in particular is quite vague. If it had not been given to you by what I would suppose to be a reputable source, I would say it to be false. All the prophecies I have heard were much clearer of their intentions and participants."

Harry felt chilled by Cian's words. It had been Albus to tell him the prophecy; the actual orb had smashed in the Department of Mysteries a few years ago. Was it possible? Had Dumbledore left out a part or lied entirely about the contents of the prophecy?

"Thank you for your words, Cian. You have given me a great deal to think of. If you are right, then things may be a great deal more difficult than I would have originally thought."

"Paths often become far more muddled before they are clear, Lord Harry," Cian replied cryptically, before nodding to Harry in goodbye and heading toward the fields.

Harry studied his son for a long moment before shivering. He needed to know a few things, and then possibly get into the Department of Mysteries again. But _there_ was his catch, how was he, an escaped fugitive, supposed to enter the Ministry itself?

He sighed, resting his head in his hands. He could feel a massive migraine building. _At least, _he thought wryly, _it took my mind off of today's date._


	19. Eighteen: Yet More Puzzles

**A/N:**** For those of you who know the pleasures of owning LEGO Harry Potter years 1-4, you know where I've been. I received a Wii for Christmas and I love it! To those that noticed my error, I am deeply glad you pay attention to this story enough to notice it and yes, Harry's scar was moved to his ankle. I'll be fixing the previous chapter.**

**Eighteen- **_Yet More Puzzles_

When Harry mentioned the possibility of a fake prophecy to the rest of his friends and family, it would be an understatement to say they were shocked. Especially for poor Severus, who had been the one to originally overhear it. The idea that the information that had led to his best friend's death hadn't been true shook him badly. Remus was the first to speak, giving Severus an anxious glance as he did so.

"The first thing we need to know is whether or not a prophecy can truly be destroyed. If the only record of it is gone, we would have to go after the source, which means either Sybil or Albus himself."

"Trelawney would be no use," Harry replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "She gave a true prophecy when I was in the room with her third year, she didn't remember it at all and seemed to think it 'preposterous'. Not 6 hours later it came true."

"Which would mean our only path would be Albus. I don't know about the rest of you, but I highly doubt he's going to give up that memory willingly if it means exposing a false prophecy," Sirius spoke up dryly.

Remus snorted in reply. "You have a talent for understating things, Padfoot. Which brings us back to my original statement. If there is another copy or it turns out they can't truly be smashed it would make things a great deal easier, even if it means getting Harry into the Ministry itself. Especially seeing as he got in there not long ago to rescue Polaris."

Said child was taking an early afternoon nap, having put up quite a fight about going to sleep in the first place. He'd finally given up when Sirius changed forms and lay on the bed with him as Padfoot. Having his daddy next to him in a convincing fake sleep had persuaded Pol to close his eyes. After all, to his almost 3 year old thoughts, if his much older daddy could take a nap, then a big boy like him could as well.

Sirius merely smiled at Polaris' stubbornness and said it was good practice for the new baby, whom Harry was almost 4 months pregnant with. Soon they would be able to know the gender and Harry was hoping for a little girl. He had a feeling she would be spoiled rotten by her daddy and big brother though.

Sirius had said firmly that no matter the gender, the new baby would be getting their _own_ name, no constellations, myths or family names. He'd shot Harry an injured look at this, Polaris quite firmly carried on two of those three traditions.

His annoyance made Harry laugh before he pointed out that for an heir of the Black Family it was suitable to follow tradition, even if Sirius hated most of his family's traditions. To that Sirius could only grumble, prompting louder laughter from Harry.

Remembering the conversation made Harry smile. They hadn't told the others about the new child yet, but he could already imagine Polaris' reaction once he understood what it meant. Harry wanted Severus to be their new child's godfather. Hermione would serve as godmother, a decision Sirius readily agreed to. He had agreed to Severus as well, but it had taken a few hours of sulking for him to get used to the idea.

It was a far cry from how his fiancé and Severus used to interact with each other. Severus now had a grudging respect for the spy and their childhood differences had been put away for the most part. Every once in a while they fell back on old behavior, but exasperated glares on Remus and Harry's part could get them to be quiet.

"Getting our minds off of this topic, have you two decided on a date for your bonding?" Remus asked with a smile.

Sirius grinned in reply and said, "We decided on Christmas Eve, here at the manor. It will be the easiest place to organise a small event like we both want and Harry will be able to be himself. He'll use the glamour for a picture or two to satisfy Albus."

Severus gave Harry a single long stare with his dark eyes and finally said in his usual silky tone, "I would trust that for those pictures the glamour will extend to cover the new addition?"

Harry couldn't have prevented his jaw from dropping had he tried. "_H-how?"_

Severus snorted at his eloquent reply and said, "It was beginning to become obvious. Black was far too happy for simply an engagement when you returned from your lunch on the grounds."

Finally catching on to his lover's comments Remus' eyes widened joyfully. "When is this one due?"

"April," Harry replied, smiling brightly. "We haven't told Polaris yet, so if he mentions something I know I can track it back to you," he added pointedly, making his son's godfather look down at the floor, a hint of colour in his cheeks.

"I can't help it," he muttered to Sirius' laughter. "He's just too irresistible and quit laughing at me Sirius Black!"

Sirius finally managed to snigger his way back to control and at a nod from Harry looked to Severus. "I speak for both Harry and I when I ask if you would consent to being our newest child's godfather, Severus. We may have had a rough start," Remus coughed in amusement, "but we would trust our child's safety to you without hesitation."

Harry had the rare pleasure of seeing Severus' eyes widen in shock before he nodded carefully. "I would be honoured to perform this service for your child, both of you. I would have never suspected it, but it is not an unwelcome thought."

Harry breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled at Severus. Looking at Remus he said, "How would we go about finding out about the existence of another copy of a prophecy or prophecies in general?"

Remus blinked, momentarily startled. "We would have to speak to someone in the Ministry," he replied slowly. "Someone with access to the Department of Mysteries."

"This is going to be difficult, isn't it?" Sirius grimaced faintly. Looking at his fiancé he said, "You can't do anything easy, can you Harry?"

Harry reached out and swatted his fiancé on the back of the head in response, earning laughter all around.


	20. Nineteen: Legacies & Lies

**Nineteen-** **Legacies & Lies**

_Late November—_

A figure in a long black cloak stood just beyond the wrought-iron gates of _Lux Eterna,_ gazing upon the wards with eyes that had seen the passing of many moons, far too many to count anymore. The art of observing wards without a wand was long-lost to the people of the magical world, but he had learned from one of the last Masters. Raising one hand he sent a curling tendril of his own spiraling silver and violet magic to touch the deep gold & black. As he'd deduced, the ward reacted, flaring more of the black in an invisible sunburst. Satisfied, he withdrew his magic, knowing it wasn't going to be long.

Far quicker than he would have thought a figure appeared. It was not the young Lord himself, no. He hadn't expected that, but to say he'd expected the figure who appeared would be not quite true either. He stared at the slightly shorter person in surprise. A few moments later Cian spoke, voice heavy with magic & age. "Who are you to warrant a reaction from these wards?"

Flipping the hood back from his dark golden hair Lord Rohan, last of the Lycans replied, "I would think you could remember my face even after this many years, Cian."

Cian looked a bit closer and his eyes widened before he said stiffly, "Rohan. What would one of the Dark Ones have with a resident of _Lux Eterna?_"

"I have information that the young Lord would be interested in," Rohan replied. "Old friend, I must ask why you are still here?"

Cian's face closed off completely before he said curtly, "I believe we parted on less than equable terms, Rohan. You desired power and control over your kind and my duty was to the bloodline of Solon. Remain here; I will see if Lord Harry is available."

Rohan watched Cian disappear through lazily hooded gold-brown eyes, musing quietly on pasts long gone and choices made. It was far too late to fix his mistakes and yet he couldn't help but remember that far-too distant past when he and Cian had known each other better than any other did or ever would.

They had been foolish, believing love to be powerful enough to overcome the differences in personality between a vicious, ruthless heir to one of the largest Lycan communities in the world and the youngest, most naïve grandson of Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor themselves. The sisters Fate and Destiny had proven to them just how laughable that idea had been.

The turning point had come one rainy, cold evening on a field of filth and blood that had once been a rather beautiful meadow. They had come face to face on the opposite sides of a battlefield and both had realised with some anguish and heartbreak exactly how impossible their relationship had become. Cian had come close to killing him that night and he'd watched through the trees a week later when Cian swore under ancient magic to protect his father's bloodline until such time that the bloodline's future was secure. It had come at the price of his own enforced loneliness & longevity comparable to Rohan's own.

But Rohan had thought that oath fulfilled the moment he saw the powerful young Lord Potter a few months previous. There were small signs Cian had begun to age, but Cian still looked nowhere near his real age of almost ten centuries. Of course, Rohan himself was almost two centuries Cian's senior and he still looked no older than his late 50's, perhaps. The bloodline of Solon Gryffindor-Slytherin was safe, or so Rohan believed, so why did Cian linger still?

His inner musings kept him company as he waited and as such he would not have noticed Cian's approach if not for his sharp sense of smell and hearing. The lycan's senses were so deeply ingrained into his subconscious mind and he was so in tune with it that he often reacted more on instinct than observation.

Cian curtly flicked a hand and the elegant gates swung inwards. Staring up at the silver tips as he passed through the ancient wards he commented, "Those silver tips remain, even though they never kept me out? I remember your father's irritation with how easily I slipped past his wards."

Cian said not a word, turning on one heel and striding briskly away in the fading light. Rohan followed, moving casually along the paths he remembered walking so long ago. He eyed one path as they passed, if he remembered correctly it led to a tall cliff overlooking the sea. He and Cian had spent many an evening out there, staring up at the stars and sharing dreams and companionship along the way.

Sternly Rohan shook away the past as they moved away from the front doors and along the path that would lead to a spacious back garden for the family's private use. He could hear voices chatting softly, one louder and younger voice echoing clearly through the trees. Rohan's lip twitched as he listened to the little one, remembering his own offspring, long gone through either the hands of various 'Light' wizards or rival creatures or wolves that resented his power and influence.

He sighed and braced himself for the following conversation, hoping for the best possible results. Time, for him, was running out.

-G-B-A-S-

When Cian brought news that one of the Dark Ones was outside the gates of _Lux Eterna_ and wished to speak with Harry, Remus was initially alarmed. Though Harry had mentioned the Dark Ones were not like wizards thought them to be, they were still all enormously powerful and ancient magical beings. After a small debate, much of which was a quick, whispered conversation between Sirius and Harry, Harry asked Cian to bring the Dark One to them here, out in the gardens.

Sirius seemed unhappy with Harry's decision but settled in to play with Polaris, who was currently giggling in amusement at the gigantic, floating bubbles that seemed just out of his reach. Jumping to his limit the little boy popped a bright blue one, crowing with a mixture of laughter and achievement at his success.

A very deep chuckle echoed Polaris' laugh and Remus looked toward the sound. Standing a few feet to the left of Cian was a tall, elegant male with dark golden hair and deep gold-brown eyes. He wore a long leather duster over a simple silk tunic in bronze and black slacks. Harry's eyes widened in recognition and he said, "Welcome to _Lux Eterna, _Lord Rohan."

Remus froze. _This_ was the last of the Lycans, the ancestors of the werewolves. The last of the Ancients. He studied the man in greater detail as he warmly smiled and replied, "It has been many years, but I have been here before, Harry Potter. Long before even the wizarding world's vaunted Albus Dumbledore was born."

"If I am not being rude, how old are you exactly?" Sirius asked.

"It's not rude," Rohan replied. "I no longer remember the exact number, but it's between eleven and twelve centuries, Lord Black. Enough to be considered a _very_ long time. May I in turn ask the name of the young one there?"

"That is our son Polaris," Harry replied. "He'll be three in February."

Something glittered in Rohan's eyes that Remus couldn't put a name to, but he knew the tall Lycan meant no harm by it. Instead he walked over to where he was about four or five feet from Polaris and crouched down so that he was no taller than the boy. It would have been an amusing sight to see a man taller than Sirius almost bent in two if not for the slight tension about _why_ the Ancient was here.

Polaris beamed at the tall Lycan and said in his soft, sweet voice, "My name is Pol. W'at's yours?"

Rohan chuckled at the near perfect sentence and replied, "I am called Rohan, little one. You are enjoying the bubbles, yes?"

Polaris nodded hugely in agreement, smiling brightly. Then he gasped and said "Ooh!"

Rohan had extended a long-fingered hand and produced a not-quite clear bubble of pure magic hovering above his fingers. It was a difficult bit of wandless magic that required skill to produce the ball, though it was maintained easily enough. Currently it was colourless, nearly transparent.

With a look to his daddy, who nodded a bit reluctantly, Pol darted closer to Rohan, staring intently at the ball of magic. After a few minutes of careful study he raised a small hand and poked the ball with a single finger. At his touch the others watching gasped as the ball flooded with a bright blue light. Polaris giggled and proclaimed, "T'at's better!"

Rohan looked into Pol's green-grey eyes for a long moment before he prompted, "Can you see how I'm holding it, little guide?"

Pol studied Rohan's hand and the ball for a bit longer. It took about five minutes before he said, "I twink so!"

"Hold out your hand then, we'll see if you got it right," Rohan replied, watching the little one's eyes light up at the challenge.

Remus watched with bated breath as the tiny boy held out his hand, flat with the palm facing up like the Ancient's. After a long moment of studying Polaris' apparently empty palm Rohan deftly 'grasped' the ball of magic with the opposite hand and set it over Polaris'. He kept his hand there as the magic in the ball of light sparked, sending streaks of green racing through the blue for a moment. Then he let go, leaving a ball of bright blue magic glowing above Polaris' palm, sending a few soft waves of blue light onto Pol's delighted face.

Polaris cheered triumphantly, sparking a laugh from Rohan. "Well done, little guide. You shall be a powerful and gifted wizard someday."

Polaris showed the ball of magic to his daddy and Harry and chirped goodnight to both Severus and Remus before scampering off with Cian, as it was long past his bedtime by then.

Rohan straightened slowly and said in his warm, rich voice, "Your son is a gifted and talented young child, Harry Potter. Not many can 'see' magic anymore."

He frowned slightly. "Unfortunately my topic tonight is not so cheerful as the small lesson for your son. I have received word from my informants in the Ministry and other places that you are attempting to retrieve a Prophecy. Is that correct?"

Remus was startled. For about the last month Harry and the others had been making inquiries into whether or not the Prophecies were completely destroyed the night of the attack and how to go about hearing the record of one. Apparently they hadn't been as discreet as they'd thought.

"Yes, but first we needed to know if they can truly be destroyed. A few thousand at least were smashed a few years ago, the one we're trying to hear included."

"As it turns out one of my people is mated to a wizarding Unspeakable from the Department of Mysteries. Prophecies cannot be permanently destroyed; the glass balls that were destroyed that night are just convenient copies. Even the copies would have reset themselves within a year or so."

Harry sighed. "That means I need to get into the Department of Mysteries without getting caught."

"I disagree," Rohan said mildly.

"What are you playing at?" Sirius said harshly. "We all know enough about that Department to know a person involved in the prophecy has to be the one to pick it up. One of our people was _Imperiused_ a few years ago and when he attempted to pick it up the prophecy drove him mad!"

"It is not the _person_ involved that needs to pick it up, Lord Black," Rohan returned mildly. "The Unspeakable I mentioned was willing enough to give details and said that not a single person that makes inquiries into prophecies about them gets into the Department. It is their _magic_, their _aura_ that is necessary. So the Unspeakable involved merely borrows their wand and retrieves the prophecy with that wand in hand."

"Also, the stands upon which the prophecies rest are not merely ornamental. When a prophecy is lifted from the base, there is a parchment copy of it inside the stand. It would be easy enough to make a copy of the parchment instead of copying the orb itself."

While they were blinking at the information he'd offered Rohan made his point. "The Unspeakable mentioned has become disenchanted with the Ministry. He would be willing to retrieve the prophecy involved, but it would require, as you have realised by now, that you give up your wand, Harry Potter. I know you wizards are reluctant to be without your wands, but I give you my word that I will give it to the Unspeakable myself and bring the copy back to you along with your wand no sooner than the end of this week."

Remus caught his breath. Harry was silent, but even from where he sat next to Severus he could see Harry mulling it over. Sirius was whispering in his ear as Rohan remained exactly where he was, patiently waiting for an answer. It took about ten minutes for Harry to make his decision. He stood suddenly and approached Lord Rohan.

"I want your sworn word, on your magic, that you will do as you have said," Harry stated firmly.

Rohan bowed his head in acknowledgement and said, "I, Lord Rohan of the Lycans, Last of the Ancients, do hereby swear upon my magic to keep the wand of Lord Harry James Potter safe and return it to him, along with a copy of the prophecy about him, within a weeks time, so mote it be." Brightly golden light flared along his body for a moment before subsiding.

Harry removed his wand from the holster and placed it in Rohan's palm. "I trust your word, Lord Rohan. If you do as you have sworn, I shall be ever grateful to you."

Rohan bowed his head and turned, walking briskly out of the gardens and out of sight.

**A/N:** **So what do you think of Cian and Rohan's back story and my explanation about the prophecies? Their story was what was in my head when I went looking for Cian's name, which is why I chose something that meant 'ancient'. Review!**


	21. Twenty: Prophecies and Propositions

**A/N:**** I have to apologise! First I moved, then I lost my computer until last Monday I believe, I meant to get an update up last Friday, but work got in the way along with unpacking. So here's a new update for you. :) The prophecy is partially taken from page 841 of OOTP**

**Twenty-** _Prophecies and Propositions_

Harry paced slightly in the spacious living room of _Lux Eterna_, trying to calm down. It was almost exactly a week since he'd given his wand to Lord Rohan and though he'd given his magically binding word he _was _one of the Ancients. As he'd proved so thoroughly with Pol's little 'lesson', he knew magic that had been lost for centuries. As he thought of his son Harry smiled softly. Sirius had just disappeared moments ago to lay their son down for a nap; he'd gotten up ridiculously early this morning and was more than slightly crabby.

They had told Polaris about his new sibling just a few days ago, his chirpy and enthusiastic response once he'd realised what it meant had made everyone present laugh. Polaris was a sweetheart and that was that. Oh, he threw his occasional fits and tempers, but usually a stern look from his father stopped him in his tracks. For the lack of his parents' presence in his life for almost three years, Polaris was eager to please and loved them both as deeply as any 3-year-old could.

In about a month he and Sirius would bond, _that_ was an occasion he was looking forward to. He couldn't wait for his life to begin as Harry James Black. He'd decided a while ago that the Potter name would continue as a title, but he was ready to get rid of a last name that had caused him nothing but unwanted fame, heartbreaking loss and fickle friends. Hearing a sound behind him he turned swiftly, coming face-to-face with his fiancé.

"Sorry Siri," he breathed, wrapping his arms around the older man's neck. "Even though I gave it to him willingly I still feel nervous without my wand."

"An entirely natural reaction. I wasn't too happy with the idea of you going an entire week without protection, even if you _are_ here inside the wards."

Just then with a soft _pop_ Dobby appeared. The house-elf made Harry smile and Sirius shake his head at his constant, slightly overbearing enthusiasm. He had apparently attached himself to Harry after being freed from Lucius Malfoy and had shown up just a few days previous. After Sirius had made sure Albus hadn't sent the elf, they had bound him to the household. He was now Harry's personal elf and delighted in making 'Master Harry sir' comfortable.

"Cian says the Dark One is back, Master Harry sir," Dobby chirped.

"Have him bring Lord Rohan to us, please."

Dobby nodded, ears flapping and disappeared as quickly as he'd shown in the first place. Harry drew in a long breath and rested his head against Sirius' shoulder. "Where are Severus and Remus?" he mumbled softly.

"Knowing that crazy house-elf, they're headed this way."

Sirius dropped an arm to his waist and guided him over to a chair. One of the other multiple house-elves attached to _Lux Eterna_ sent up a tray of finger-sized healthy snacks and a pot of tea with five cups. No matter how often Harry invited Cian to sit with the rest of them, the quiet, aloof guardian preferred to stand in a corner out of sight but still within hearing and defense range.

True to Sirius' guess and the number of cups, Severus and Remus drifted in a few seconds later, Severus sitting in a chair against a solid wall with the large bay window in sight. Harry smiled in quiet understanding to the spy, knowing why he preferred to keep something solid to his back. Years of habit were not easily undone, especially for Severus, who had guarded himself not only against Voldemort but the sparkling-eyed manipulation of the Headmaster for more than twenty years.

When Lord Rohan stalked elegantly into the room Harry took a long moment to study the Lycan. He moved with assurance and almost arrogant confidence. It was well earned after he had survived the changes of so many centuries. His eyes were rich in colour and for the first time Harry noticed exactly how wide the pupils were as well as the slight point to the canines. Even when walking there was a wolf-like grace to him.

The first thing he did upon reaching them was retrieve from one of his long sleeves a very familiar wand. Harry bowed his head in acknowledgement and thanks and took his wand, the familiar warmth a great comfort and relief. "Thank you, Lord Rohan."

"No thanks are necessary, Lord Potter. Anyone in the magical world knows how bare and unprotected a wizard or witch feels without their wand. Keep this in mind as it is the first thing they will go for during an attack."

"I will take care to remember that, Lord Rohan. Did your people have any trouble retrieving the Prophecy?"

"None at all," Rohan reassured them. "We are used to covert operations, it was almost too easy for our Unspeakable stop by and pick up one particular prophecy. He made an exact copy of the paper below and gave me the original, which," he drew out a slip of paper rolled up with a gold ribbon and black seal, "as you can see, I have not touched or altered in any way."

With trembling fingers Harry accepted the paper. It was tiny, hardly four inches square. To think that so much fell on this tiny scrap of paper, that so many lives had been lost trying to make it irrelevant, that Albus put so much store into it. Shakily he broke the seal and unrolled it, revealing words written in elegant, slanted calligraphy.

_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. The Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he shall have Power the Dark Lord knows not. Light and Dark shall meet on a field of shadows, but as Light shall have the Guide they will succeed. Dark must die at the hand of the great Light, for the Guide shall not come to power while the other survives. And the Guide shall lead the wizarding world forward into the greatest of all…_

Harry passed it to Sirius, who read it with clenched fingers. When it reached Remus and he had finished reading he drew in a breath after passing it to Rohan and said what Harry had been thinking the entire time. "Do any of us think it coincidence that Harry and Sirius' son is named Polaris, the _guiding_ star?"

"I don't think it is coincidence," Harry whispered, "but what does it mean? _Light and Dark shall meet on a field of shadows, but as Light shall have the Guide they will succeed._ I dearly hope that doesn't mean the prophecy suggests bringing my son onto a battlefield!"

"Is there a possibility it truly means the North Star?" Rohan mused. "There is ancient magic that invokes starlight, but I don't see how it would help defeat this Lord Voldemort. Unless there is a ritual of some sort involved. I will have to search my people's books, they may mention something of the sort."

"You mean to work with us," Harry said, startled.

Rohan inclined his head in a slight nod. "While this man threatens the magical world, he threatens all, as you told us young Lord Potter. I have known your bloodline for ages, I will not see it die out while I can do something about it."

Seeing Harry's surprised look he smiled. He opened his mouth as if to say something and caught sight of eyes glaring at him from the corner. "But that is for another time, young Lord. I must leave. My people are becoming restless as we can sense the growing Darkness around us."

Rohan departed shortly there-after, leaving a group of four to debate the prophecy and the fifth to guard and silently ponder the same words. Cian frowned, drawing nothing but alarming conclusions from the true wording of the prophecy. He shook himself and thought, _it will get clearer with time._

_Hopefully._


	22. TwentyOne: A Much Delayed Celebration

**A/N:**** I can't explain away my absence, I'm sorry. :( Here's an update though. A random comment. I was taking a walk earlier and I suddenly hit upon the perfect slash pair. It's odd that I never thought of this before but Sirius/Bill! Just think about how he's described in GoF and tell me him and our favorite Grim wouldn't go well together. I think I'm going to have to work that into a story.**

**Twenty-One**_- A Much Delayed Celebration_

Finally it was December. Sirius wasn't patient waiting for anything, but for this day he was doubly impatient. Today he would put a ring onto Harry's finger as he'd wanted to do for a few years now. Today he would officially claim his beloved, his unborn daughter and his cute, stubborn son. Speaking of which…

"Daddy?"

Sirius smiled as the object of his thoughts walked into the room. Either Remus or Harry had already gotten to the little boy as he was dressed in a small set of deep grey robes that were too adorable and quite sophisticated for a not quite three-year-old boy. Polaris sometimes pouted about that fact, to him February 14th was ages away. Sirius was all too happy to give Polaris the limelight on that day rather than reminding him of his own advancing years.

"Those look good on you, Pol," he praised his son. "Who chose them?"

"Awnt Ciss," Polaris replied. For the most part his speech was articulate as it could be for his young age, but sometimes he tended to pronounce certain things wrong.

Sirius blinked, having forgotten that Narcissa, Hermione and Draco had come here from Malfoy Manor just the day before. Their reactions to _Lux Eterna_ and Cian were entertaining, to say the least. Hermione was as intrigued by Cian as they were, but the enigmatic guardian remained a mystery. It was for that reason that both Narcissa and Draco were a bit wary of him.

"How's your papa?" he asked Polaris, who frowned cutely as he thought. The way he crinkled his small nose made Sirius want to laugh. Sirius had a valid concern behind the question; Harry _was_ after all more than 5 months with their daughter. Today was December 29th; their little girl was due April 18th.

"I'm not swupposed to answer that," Polaris replied finally, eliciting a soft sigh from Sirius and a laugh from behind Pol, who jumped a few feet in surprise.

"Good Pol," Remus praised from where he stood in the doorway, already wearing a set of bronze and brown dress robes that flowed elegantly to the floor. They were made out of satin and perfectly complimented his gold-brown hair and amber eyes.

"You look nice," Sirius grinned at his friend, who merely rolled his eyes.

"You would say that, Pads, after all you bought these. Over my protests, I might add."

"You protested because you're cheap, Moony, and you know it. Those look good on you and I'll bet Severus agrees."

Remus shook his head and moved closer to Sirius, clapping a hand on Polaris' small shoulder and saying, "Hermione's looking for you, Polaris. She's in the family room."

Polaris gave both his dad and godfather a quick hug before darting out the door. Sirius raised an eyebrow at Remus and said, "Now what are you thinking that you couldn't say in front of him?"

"Nothing," Remus tried, but his innocent face couldn't pull it off. Sirius simply glared at him and he sighed before finally admitting, "We got word from Lord Rohan. He says there is one major ritual involving the North Star that takes place in March, on James' birthday no less. He says the ritual is complicated and more than slightly complex, but it will allow the spirits of the dead killed directly by Voldemort to help us kill him."

"How can the dead harm anyone alive?" Sirius sputtered. "I mean outside of possessing someone?"

"It makes their spectral forms solid enough to hold a weapon and cause damage, but they themselves can't be harmed by magic." Remus explained with a sigh. "It's technically classified as Necromancy and would require us to break into the remains of Godric's Hollow and retrieve James and Lily's wands, amongst other things."

"Godric's Hollow is likely being watched, but with some planning we could get in there," Sirius mused. He thought about it a bit longer before shaking his head and saying, "Enough on this for now, I've got enough on my mind."

Remus smirked and said, "Are you actually admitting to being nervous, Pads?"

"Of course not!" Sirius objected. Under the stern, slightly amused look of Remus he eventually wilted. "All right, perhaps a bit," he admitted.

"I guessed you were if you tried asking Polaris. Luckily I guessed you might and told him not to say anything. Relax, Sirius, nothing's stopping this."

"I'll make sure and remind you of that when you finally stop dancing around the same issue with Severus!" Sirius retorted, earning a flush from his friend.

Remus lowered his eyes to the marble floor and murmured, "I'm not sure I ever will stop, Pads."

Sirius' eyes flashed. He recognised this little indicator. It was the same thing that happened **every** time Remus allowed someone in this close. He'd pull this little stunt over committing to the relationship and eventually end up driving them away. He opened his mouth to snap at Remus and _precisely_ at that moment Narcissa opened the door and said, "We're ready for you two."

Remus was out the door before Sirius could do more than hiss slightly in warning, avoiding the conversation for now. Sirius wasn't going to let him get away with it this time, however. Despite the feeling he ought to be checking into St. Mungo's, he had to admit that Severus was good for his friend. Now he just needed to stop Remus' self-sacrificing behaviour.

"I hope you talk some sense into him, cousin," Narcissa said simply, cutting into his thoughts. He blinked at her, surprised. "Severus cares about him more than he has any other, it would be a shame for it to be destroyed by Remus' insecurity."

"It won't be," Sirius growled under his breath, shaking his head.

Narcissa abruptly smiled at him and said, "You look good, cousin. I'm glad that this of all days has come for you."

He smiled back at her and said softly, "So am I, cousin." For a moment grey eyes dulled and he said, more to himself than anything, "There was once a time when I doubted anything good would come of my life."

Narcissa smiled sadly back and said, "There was a time when it seemed nothing _good_ would ever come of life again, cousin. But we have passed it now and a certain young Potter lord waits for you."

Sirius smiled brilliantly at her and said, "Then let's go, shall we?"

/GBAS\

Harry felt as though he was in a daze, a very pleasant state nonetheless, but this strange lightheadedness was something he wasn't sure he liked. His right hand joined with Sirius' own in this brilliant golden coil of magic, the low, indistinct murmur of a voice to his left. He felt as though he couldn't breathe, though at the same time his heart pounded wildly and a small smile crossed his lips.

_Joy._ Was this what he felt? This overwhelming urge to either smile or break into tears? Was all of this fuzziness due to the happiest of emotions? He wasn't sure; Harry hadn't felt this kind of emotion in his life before. Vaguely aware of a question being asked he answered, his own voice sounding heavy in his ears, feeling unwieldy on his tongue. "Yes."

All he was aware of was the man across and simultaneously next to him. _Sirius._ And if this was to be the rest of his life, he could spend it in pure bliss. The golden band brightened, turned pure white and disappeared. On the hand that clasped his own was now a thick platinum band with an amethyst surrounded by tiny princess-cut blue diamonds. On the left side was the Potter crest, on the right was the Black crest.

On Harry's own hand was a smaller version of the same ring, only with another band attached to it that was covered in the Celtic knots that signified Love, Family and Hope. On that band was a large amethyst, an equal sized ruby and another slightly smaller amethyst. _My family,_ Harry realised. That was nearly enough to bring him to tears alone.

Growing up the way he had, family was everything. He'd been abandoned, totally alone at 15 months. He'd grown up hated, neglected and mildly abused, feeling unloved and unwanted by anything or any_one._ Then he had discovered magic and though magic was a flighty friend, it had given him what he desired more than anything else in the world.

Looking up into Sirius' grey eyes he smiled softly, letting this new emotion race through him and hoping it was conveyed. Sirius reached out to cup his cheek and drew him into a deep, loving kiss. The moment their lips met, he knew it not only had been conveyed, but was returned in spades.

At this point, Harry was happy.


	23. TwentyTwo: Wolfish Confrontations

**A/N:**** I'm glad you liked the last chapter. This one is winding down now I think. The last chapter will show their daughter, but the war ends beforehand. Here we go!**

**Twenty-Two**-_ Wolfish Confrontations_

It was almost a week after the bonding ceremony at _Lux Eterna._ Remus Lupin was wandering about the large gardens, thinking about various things. None were extremely important, yet he filled his mind with idle problems. If he looked at things honestly, he would realise what he was avoiding, but that was precisely the point of his random mental wanderings. He _wanted_ to avoid the real problem.

So it was to absolutely no surprise that he looked up after about half an hour to see Sirius in front of him. His friend seemed to know exactly when he wanted to avoid a certain conversation, as if his private decision to avoid it was a Summoning Charm for his best friend. He didn't bother acknowledging Sirius' presence, though he knew it was futile that he would take that as a signal to leave.

So when Sirius sat down across him on a stone bench and crossed one leg over the other he mentally braced himself for what would be, without a single doubt, a very trying conversation. That was the one thing he both hated and loved about his friend; he had a habit of breaking through to the real problem, sometimes with all the subtlety of a battering ram. He had been that way since school and Remus highly doubted it would ever change.

To his surprise, Sirius didn't say anything at first. He studied the gardens with a languid ease, utterly relaxed and at the same time utterly intimidating. Remus resented this particular ability of his, to be both a friend and an enemy at the same time with virtually no effort whatsoever. It was something inbred something that he'd been born with as a member of the aristocratic and snobbish Black family. It was one of the reasons why he'd believed so easily that Sirius had been the betrayer all those years ago.

When Sirius finally turned his head and locked eyes with Remus he had to resist the urge to squirm. Sirius' expression was disappointed, not in _him,_ per say, but in his actions. He hated disappointing anyone, especially his friends.

Sirius sighed and leaned forward, resting his chin on his folded fingers. Even in the relaxed, almost slumped position he radiated a quiet elegance and managed to command attention. Finally after a few more moments of silence, the conversation Remus had been dreading opened.

"I hate it when you do this to yourself, Remus. You were always the best of us and yet you could never see it."

"I highly doubt it, Sirius," he replied stiffly. "Your opinion of me from school seems a little skewed. I was far from the best of us, magically or morally."

"What do you see when you look in a mirror, Moony? Because quite frankly I'm beginning to think your eyes are going."

"I have perfect eyesight, thank you very much," Remus snapped. "As for what I see, you know what I see."

"Do I? Because from the way you react to things and treat yourself, I think that our images of you are very different. Because I see my best friend, a man of morals and ethics, one who is both book-wise and world-wise, perhaps not in the way you would hope to be, but you always try to see the best of people, of _everyone_ besides you."

"World-wise, you say? Well let me tell you something, Sirius," Remus' voice was laced with sarcasm. "That wisdom came at a heavy price. I do know the world and the essence of people, though it is rarely the good side. I know how someone can be when they realise who they are talking to, more like _what_ they are talking to. I have spoken to grown men and women alike and the _moment_ they know what I am they pull away. They treat me like a poison, like a disease. The worst part is they'll treat the people I am friends with and care for that way as well."

"Severus does not treat you that way and you still push him away," Sirius murmured, still in the level, damnably _unaffected_ voice of his.

"I do not push him away because he doesn't treat me like everyone else," Remus hissed. "I do it because _they_ will treat him the exact same way if it gets out he's with someone like me. He doesn't deserve to be looked down upon, not after everything he's given to keep this world from falling apart at the seams!"

"Ahh, so you push him away because you're being a noble, self-sacrificing git like usual, hmm?" Sirius rejoined a slightly mocking edge to his tone.

"_Don't_ speak to me in that condescending tone of voice, Sirius! You know exactly why I push him away. He deserves better than that, he deserves better than me! I knew from my childhood I would be alone, I'm well used to it by now," Remus had stood up and was glaring furiously at Sirius, though he was horrified to find a catch in his voice to match the dampness in his eyes.

He turned away, trying to compose himself. His heart was racing and Remus felt as though he could hardly draw breath. He closed his eyes, determinedly pushing away the pain he felt at the idea of letting go of Severus and what he had. He was startled out of his attempt by a smooth, fluid voice he knew all too well.

"I deserve better than _you?_ If anything you have that backwards, you stubborn wolf!"

Startled, Remus spun around to find Severus Snape, dark eyes for once wild with emotion. Sirius stood up, stretched and said with a lazy, self-satisfied grin, "I think I've become superfluous. Try not and make too big of a mess of the garden, would you? It's Pol's favourite spot for an outside nap."

He left at that, leaving Remus with the urge to follow and strangle his best friend. He didn't think he'd be getting the opportunity however, as Severus blocked his path and was most certainly _not_ finished.

"Are you done with your self-pity, you idiot Gryffindor? If you want to start talking about who would be ostracised anyway, I'm a Death Eater. It doesn't matter that I was a spy for the Order, do you really think that would care when people want to point fingers? Look at my life before we found _this,_ Remi. I was alone with my bitterness and self-blame, hiding away with my guilt for an act more than 20 years in the past. And then _you_ came along with your stubborn, intelligent, chocolate-obsessed self and broke through every barrier I'd created like they were made of brittle glass!"

Remus was floored. Severus wasn't one for words much, to hear _this_ all at once was a shock. Not the least because he hadn't realised what Severus was going through while he was withdrawing from the other, nor had he even _guessed_ how much he meant to him.

"Severus-"he tried, clearing his throat first in order to speak.

"No! I don't want to hear anymore of your excuses Remi. Do you want this or not? If not then we need to end it _now. _Anymore and you will hurt me more than I ever have been in my past."

Remus flinched. There it was, blunt and sharp as usual. He closed his eyes for a moment and turned his head, breathing in and out at a slow, steady pace to calm down. "Severus, I had no idea what I was doing to you with this conflict in my head. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you. As for whether or not I want this, of _course_ I do. I just have thought that you deserve better than an ostracised werewolf who sometimes barely scrapes along."

Cool, smooth skin brushed along his cheekbone and he opened his eyes, looking up. Severus was standing in front of the stone bench he'd sunk onto in his shock, brushing his right cheekbone with long, slender fingers. He looked into dark, almost-black eyes as Severus murmured, "I'm not one who's much for words, Remus, so listen to me. I don't _care_ about your social status, financials or anything of that sort. I fell in love with you and by that I mean _every_ part of you, both normal and not-so-much. There are far greater things to worry about than this and this isn't something you should worry about. I love you and as long as I know it's returned, you're not getting rid of me."

The only answer Remus could come up with to that was to stand and wrap his arms around Severus, holding him tight. There was absolutely nothing he could say to express what he felt other than, "I love you, Severus. I'm sorry I was being such an idiot."

"I forgive you wolf. It is in the nature of a Gryffindor, after all."

Remus snorted Severus' lips quirked and all was right again for the two of them.


	24. TwentyThree: Vindicated

**A/N:**** No excuses! I am deeply sorry; I lost interest for a while. Now I'm back though and Ron's finally going to get a reality check. Guided is drifting towards its end, it's been fun though!**

**Twenty-Three**- _Vindicated_

As late December folded into early January those at _Lux Eterna_ were still pondering the prophecy and gathering all the information they could on the ritual Lord Rohan had found. Polaris was fussy about being stuck inside, something Remus and Sirius could sympathise with and so they took the almost three-year-old boy out to play in the snow. His happy giggles were infectious and soon they were both grinning as well, taking as much delight as the little boy in the fresh powder that had fallen the night before.

Remus was taking a bit of a break and sucking in a lungful of cold, crisp air when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head a little he noticed that it was Lord Rohan, standing back toward the small forest on the grounds. He caught Sirius' eye and nodded in the direction of the Lycan before taking off, Sirius nodding in understanding.

As always when he was in the presence of the Ancient his back stiffened automatically as he came closer to where Rohan stood. It was not something he chose to do, just a reaction from one wolf to another immensely powerful and old one. Rohan had never taken offense to it, he seemed pleased even that Remus was cautious around him.

The Lycan was quiet for a long time, golden-brown eyes wistfully studying Polaris as he played in the snow. After a long moment he spoke. "Tell me, Remus Lupin; are you happy with your life?"

This was not what Remus expected and he startled a little, staring at Rohan. The Lycan's expression was subdued and something told him a light answer would not be appreciated. He thought for a long moment and said, "Yes. I am happy with my life, though if anything could change I would wish for an easier way to control my lycanthropy than the expensive potion my er- _lover_ has to brew. I hate the idea of putting my friends at risk."

"What if I was to tell you there is a way to never be forced into transforming again, unless you _wanted_ to?"

Remus stared at him, blinking. "Forgive me for being skeptical, but I have never heard of anything like that before."

Rohan sighed. He studied Polaris for a moment more before turning and locking eye with Remus. There was age in those eyes; a sadness that ran deeper than he could understand and a sign of old wounds that could never properly heal. "I am not long for this world, Remus Lupin. I finally feel the last of many sunsets and moonrises approaching. Though I am not the last of my kind there are very few of us left and I am the oldest."

"I can give you what I spoke of," he said quietly and Remus was floored. "With one bite similar to the one you already have I can get rid of the agony of the moons, I can give you full control of the wolf and your life. You would be as normal as those around you, merely enhanced in ways a human couldn't comprehend. With the bite would go my Guide and my knowledge. You would have the history of your new race and more than a thousand years of evolution accessible in an instant."

Remus swallowed, shocked. This Lycan was offering to do what? _Upgrade _him? While it was a very tempting offer he knew better than to take it without hesitation. For one Severus would kill him if he did this without discussing it logically. "Can I think about this?"

"Of course, but you would need to decide soon. Preferably before the next moon."

_Two weeks._ He had two weeks to think about this and discuss things. "Thank you, Lord Rohan. It is a very generous offer, but I have a habit of needing to consider things from a few different angles."

"Not to mention your mate would be displeased if you made this type of decision alone," Rohan said with dry humour, just about quoting his earlier thoughts.

"I came here for one other reason, Remus Lupin. If you and the Lord Black would come with me, I have a certain person waiting back beyond the gates. From what I have heard of your plans and goals, he is rather important."

Remus sent a Patronus to Sirius, who had trekked inside with Polaris, who had tired himself out and most likely needed a nap. A short time late two figures were making their way in Remus and Rohan's direction instead of one. Remus wasn't very surprised to see the second was Severus.

Rohan repeated his cryptic message about a _guest_ waiting beyond the gates and Sirius nodded cautiously. They Apparated to the gates, Sirius helping Rohan in Side-Along so he wouldn't be attacked by the wards. There was a figure sitting in the snow, shivering in a light cloak. He was bound with gold wards around his wrists and ankles, hood drawn up over his face.

"I believe you have been looking for him?" Rohan said, drawing the hood down.

_Peter._ The traitor, the last Marauder, the one who had caused so many problems for this particular group. Remus heard Sirius hiss in pure fury and he looked up, smiling in a rather feral manner at Rohan. "We have, Lord Rohan. Is he being given into our custody?"

"He is. A few of my people brought him in before the Dark Ones, he has harmed or killed too many of our kind. I remembered you were looking for him and thought he would be an adequate gift of sorts in this New Year."

"A most generous gift indeed, Lord Rohan," Sirius replied. "He will not only face the Wizengamot for his crimes but also clear my husband of his false conviction."

"Then I leave him in your capable hands. I will trust, Remus Lupin that you will think about my offer and our conversation?"

"I will do so," Remus promised, Severus' dark eyes narrowing at their words.

After Rohan departed he looked at Peter. He could feel the wolf rising inside and his voice was little more than a growl when he finally spoke. "Let's take him into the Ministry ourselves, shall we?"

Sirius leaned back against the stone wall of the observation room, staring through the thick one-way glass. Peter sat inside, chained to a chair and shivering. He watched his ex-friend's watery eyes dart around the room, attempting to find an escape route. If he did attempt to escape, he would have to do so in human form, as the moment they arrived at the Ministry the Auror on duty had placed anti-Animagus cuffs on his wrists.

He was waiting for the arrival of Albus Dumbledore and a few members of the Order. Severus had departed to notify them and promised to make sure the entire Weasley family was present. Amelia Bones stood to the far left, speaking with Kingsley Shacklebolt. Sirius had already approached her and casually asked that the Ginerva Weasley case be brought up in questioning, to gain additional details.

He turned when he heard the door open and watched as Albus Dumbledore, Nymphadora Tonks, the Weasley family minus the twins and Severus entered the room. After a long moment Narcissa Malfoy entered as well, followed by Draco and Hermione. Once Hermione shut the door Sirius discreetly sent a locking spell toward the door, preventing Ron's escape route. He'd seen the youngest male Weasley's expression at the sight of Peter, the horror on his face was priceless.

"Are we ready to begin?" Amelia asked Kingsley briskly. He nodded and handed her a glass vial of Veritaserum as well as a few sheets of parchment and a Quick-Quotes quill that would document what Peter and Amelia said.

She entered the room with the Veritaserum and Peter blanched to the colour of old parchment, sweating profusely. Amelia briskly administered the Veritaserum and the questioning began.

"What is your name?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"What house were you in?"

"Gryffindor."

"Are you an unregistered Animagus?"

"Yes. I'm a common grey rat."

"Are you a Death Eater?"

"Yes. I joined on winter holidays of 1976."

"Why were you never present at meetings?"

"The Dark Lord believed me to be a better member behind the scenes. I was to keep track of Albus Dumbledore and be his spy in the Order of the Phoenix."

"Which Order members' deaths did you have a part in?"

"Fabian and Gideon Prewett, the Bones and McKinnon's."

"Were you Secret-Keeper for the Potter family at the time of their death?"

"Yes. I handed them over to Voldemort directly. He was extremely pleased with the information, he'd been looking for them for the past year at least."

"Why did you betray James Potter and Lily Evans-Potter?"

"James was an arrogant bastard. He and Black were always ignoring me, strolling around the school acting like they owned the ground beneath their feet. Sirius was too goody-goody to be a Black, he was an embarrassment to his bloodline. As for Lupin well," Peter shuddered, even under Veritaserum, "how much can you trust a werewolf, really?"

Remus flinched next to Sirius. He reached out and grabbed his friend's hand, squeezing firmly. It was hard to stand here and listen to what Peter really thought all that time.

The questioning continued, dragging out how he'd been confronted by Sirius and (literally) blown things up in his face. How he'd hidden with the Weasley family until Harry's 3rd year, attempting to fake his death when he realised Sirius had escaped Azkaban and was hell-bent on revenge. The Dark Lord's rise from his bodiless state was covered in detail, all present aside from Sirius, Remus and Severus grimacing with each mention of Harry's name.

Then Amelia asked the question Sirius had been waiting for.

"Did you have anything to do with the death of Ginerva Weasley?"

Peter had the gall to _chuckle, _actually laugh, under the Veritaserum. "Oh yes, the biggest coup of the year. The Dark Lord wanted to undermine the trust the wizarding world had in their precious saviour. Murdering the youngest Weasley child and their only daughter would do so quite well."

"I worked with one of the Dark Lord's new recruits, Ronald Bilius Weasley."

Gasps and mutters. Ron attempted to leave, but was restrained by a shocked but still functioning Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"What do you mean, Ronald Weasley? He is her older brother and Harry James Potter was convicted of the crime 3 years ago."

"I sent Ronald a potion, disguised as Pepper-up. It works to conceal a caster's magical signature and replace it with that of another. All Ron needed was a sample of Potter's magical signature, which he got one day when he faked 'losing' his wand and asked to borrow his friend's to cast a simple locking spell."

"While Potter was involved in the resetting of the school's wards Ronald Weasley trailed his sister to Diagon Alley. She was about to enter a restricted store when he killed her with the Killing Curse, the potion leaving Potter's magical aura _all over_ the crime scene. Fudge was so convinced by the strength of the aura left behind he decided to forgo Veritaserum at Potter's trial. According to Weasley it was immensely amusing to watch Potter's shock at the _trial_ and the reactions of those whom he trusted."

Sirius closed his eyes at Peter's words, leaned his head against the glass and waited.

5…4…3…2…1…_ Pandemonium._

**A/N: Nice and long. What do you think? I personally liked the end, lots of dialogue gets boring so I tried to keep Peter's testimony short. Reactions from the Weasleys and Ron's arrest in the next chapter, along with Harry's dramatic reveal.**


	25. TwentyFour: Revelations

**A/N:**** Harry finally gets to speak as himself! Sorry about the month-long wait, again. Honestly, I have a reason! If you check out my profile you'll find **_**Notebook,**_** which I highly recommend you read. It's six single chapters of new stories and I have a poll going in my profile. If you read it let me know which one you like because I'm writing the winner of the poll next!**

**Twenty-Four**- _Revelation_

A smirk crawled across Sirius' face as he spun around and swiftly locked Ronald Weasley into a chair. _Finally,_ he thought. It was about time this piece of scum got what he deserved. Not that any of these _people_ deserved to be forgiven, ever. It would simply be nice for Harry to not have to worry anymore, plus he knew his beloved was just _itching_ to give these idiots a piece of his mind.

"Kingsley, I think we need the Veritaserum still," he said coolly.

Molly Weasley began to sputter nonsense about Peter lying, the rest of her family was ashen-faced aside from the grim-faced twins. Albus Dumbledore was pale and the sparkle was finally gone from his eyes, hopefully for good. The stupid old bastard was about to learn the hard way that he wasn't always right.

Amelia Bones walked over, her hands shaking slightly. Her voice was as hard as steel however when she began to question Ron.

"Your name?"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley."

"Former house?"

"Gryffindor."

"Are you a Death Eater?"

"Yes."

Molly began to openly sob into her stricken husband's chest at these words.

"How long have you been a Death Eater?"

"Since my 6th year of school. Potter was too concerned with the status of things outside the school walls to notice. He merely thought my distance was jealousy. For most of our education it was."

"How did you plan to kill your sister and why did you kill her?"

"Ginerva was Mum's perfect little princess. Mum couldn't see that she was a pampered and spoiled little bitch, so I was happy to get rid of her. The number of times I remember my brothers teasing me because Mum had hoped I was a girl I can't even count. I'm the sixth son in my family and constantly forgotten for my _talented_ or _funny _older brothers."

"It got worse when I began Hogwarts. When I heard my older twin brothers mentioning Harry Potter, I decided to sit with him if I could. The original plan was to ride in with Harry Potter and hope that I could not look so _plain_ next to a kid whose name was common everywhere in our world. He turned out to be so gullible I became his 'friend'. I soon learned the hazards of being Harry Potter's friend, however. After the episode in the Department of Mysteries at the end of 5th year I was tired of being the 'sidekick' to the 'Chosen One'. I became a Death Eater."

"When the Dark Lord mentioned trying to come up with a plan to undermine Harry Potter in the eyes of the wizarding public I was on board from the beginning. I knew how badly he took the fickle eyes of the press and the wizarding public. Plus it helped that the wizarding public can't seem to decide whether or not they adore or hate him. I wanted it to be a strike against my family as well so the obvious target was Ginerva."

"I faked 'losing' my wand in Grimmauld Place, asking to borrow Harry's wand so that I could cast a locking charm on my trunk. We were due to leave for the ward setting at Hogwarts and pressed for time, so he leant it to me and went searching for my wand. He didn't know that I'd taken the _Magical Core Duplication_ potion, nor do I think he knew such a thing existed."

"While the others were setting the wards I acted angry at being 'left out' for my lack of magical strength and tracked down Ginny, who was in Diagon Alley. She took a back turn into Knockturn Alley and ended up just outside a shop full of very old books. I think she was getting one for Hermione's birthday, but it didn't matter. I cast _Avada Kedavra _at my sister's back while she was turned away from me. The potion worked perfectly and left Potter's signature all over the crime scene. I left before it could absorb any of mine."

Molly was openly sobbing by the time Ronald finished, clearly struck by grief and shock at who exactly was responsible for her daughter's death. Sirius felt nothing but contempt for a woman who'd been all too eager and quick to blame a young man she had formerly fawned over excessively.

Albus cleared his throat and said, "It seems that we have some mistakes to fix. I'm going to assume Amelia that you're going to publish a public record of Harry Potter's clearance in the _Prophet?_"

"Oh yes," the woman said briskly, annoyance shining in her eyes for a moment at being told how to do her job. "Considering our Aurors have been at a total loss for where he is it will be a good thing to pull them off the case. Very good at hiding, that one."

Sirius resisted a smug grin at that, locking eyes with Remus, who looked like he was trying not to laugh. They knew _exactly _where he was and he was going to be more than pleased with this.

Once Amelia left Albus turned to the others and said, "I think this calls for an Order meeting tonight. Sirius, this does mean all of us so let Estel know, would you?"

Sirius wanted to laugh in his face and tell him exactly who Estel was, but he knew Harry would get mad at him for taking away his fun. No doubt he was going to be planning a suitably dramatic revelation, perhaps at the Order meeting.

"I will, Albus." He said, keeping a straight face with no small amount of effort.

When Harry heard of Peter's capture and Ron's arrest he laughed out loud. Finally he could stop hiding from the world. He threw his arms around Sirius and kissed him soundly, amazed and relieved that he'd made it through the past 3 years.

At the news of the Order meeting he went all out for his last appearance as the eccentric 'Estel'. Loose, casually frayed jeans, a white poet's shirt under a vibrantly bright blue duster, curly hair touching his shoulders and a very obvious chandelier earring with a small dragon on it, wand behind his left ear like Luna had taught him and dreamy, unfocused eyes lined with black eyeliner and bronze shadow. Along with his bonding ring he wore a thick band of cheap metal on the other wrist, lined with an almost offensively bright group of painted metal and imitation gems.

At the sight of him Remus blinked and almost burst out laughing, Severus stared and shook his head and Sirius threw back his head and roared with laughter. When he finally stopped, Harry could hear him muttering "I knew it," over and over under his breath. They Apparated on the snowy grounds and walked up towards the almost oppressive sight of Malfoy Manor. Sirius and Harry were last to enter the room, mostly due to Sirius' careful caution in making sure Harry didn't slip on the snow or ice. While Harry was reluctant to admit it, their daughter _was _beginning to affect his balance, he was almost 5 months after all.

At the sight of those who had betrayed him however, Harry clenched his hands into fists for just a moment. Molly Weasley had red-rimmed eyes and Albus appeared to still be in shock. Harry felt nothing but anger and mistrust for them however. He wrapped one of his hands around Sirius' and sternly fell back into character as the apparently air-headed Order member.

It was amusing to watch their faces as he sat down next to Sirius at the long table. Sitting on his other side was Hermione, carefully keeping a straight face by not looking at him directly. Draco had an incredulous expression on his face for a moment before it fell behind his usual mask. Sitting across from him were Severus and Remus, Severus' shoulders were betraying just a slight amount of tension, showing that he wasn't truly relaxed in spite of his almost reclining posture.

"Today," Albus began heavily, "we learned that Harry Potter was in fact innocent in the death of Ginerva Weasley. His innocence will be released in a evening edition of the _Daily Prophet._ It seems we all made a mistake in believing him guilty and now we must make the effort to bring him back into the Order. The prophecy after all does require his presence to defeat Lord Voldemort."

Harry just barely resisted a sneer, thinking to himself, _Of course. Now that I'm not a murderer you need me to play hero again. Not happening, you old bastard._ He squeezed Sirius' hand, seeing the indignation on his face.

They listened as the Order began discussing ways of getting word to him, amused at some of their ideas, especially since he was sitting amongst them even now. Finally he decided it was time to speak up and said in a tone very reminiscent of Luna Lovegood, "You won't need to seek him out."

Albus looked at him with rather condescending eyes, while Molly Weasley snorted and said, "You don't know him at all, so why should we listen to you?"

"And you _do _know him, Molly? If you did, you wouldn't have accused him of murder in the first place. I tend to question your motives, especially when I know of how you blew up at him in the courtroom."

"Sirius, do you not know how to keep certain conversations to yourself?" Molly snapped.

Irate, Sirius opened his mouth to reply but Harry pinched his hand under the table. "Sirius did not inform me, Molly. It would do you well to remember my warning about accusing him of everything under the sun."

"Then how would you know of that conversation?" She yelled. "I highly doubt you were in that courtroom and showed up out of nowhere and happen to be a mediocre wizard of questionable character; I suggest _you_ keep your mouth shut."

Harry's eyes blazed as he thought _enough of this! _Frostily he opened his mouth and spoke. "I in fact was in that courtroom, Molly." When she opened her mouth to yell some more he growled out the bombshell. "I was sitting in the chair in the center of the Wizengamot, being told I committed a crime I would never do, being yelled at by someone I once considered a mother-figure and having everyone but a select few turn their back on my like a piece of trash."

In the stunned silence he snapped his wand sharply on the table with a sharply bit out, _"Finite Incantatem!"_

If he wasn't so angry, Harry would have found their shocked and rapidly paling faces amusing. As it was he was furious and barely restraining himself from cursing the lot of them. It was Sirius' turn to act as a restraint, visibly laying a hand over his, entwining and displaying their bonding rings.

"If not for the fact that I want Voldemort dead more than any of you, I would tell you to bloody save yourselves. As is, I want nothing to do with you now or after this is over and I will no longer be attending meetings nor associated with the Order. You and your fickle friendship and loyalty disgust me. I live in a safe and secret location which _no Albus,_ I won't reveal to you. When we have finished outlining our plans based on the prophecy I shall make sure word gets to you on what you are needed for. Otherwise, leave me alone or I will not be held responsible for the hexes, jinxes or curses I may cast. A not good day to you, and good riddance."

He stood up abruptly, Sirius standing as well along with Remus, Severus, Hermione, Draco and Narcissa. "Those standing are the only ones I trust now or ever, along with the twins and perhaps Amelia Bones, who seems like a smart woman able to stand on her own feet. Watch your back Albus, your growing senility is going to get you kicked out soon. In my opinion, the sooner the better as it seems long overdue."

He spun on his heel and walked out, leaving stunned, shocked silence behind him. _That_, he admitted as he slowed to let Sirius and the other catch up, _felt really good._


	26. TwentyFive: Godric's Hollow

**A/N:**** This is short, a little more than 1400 words, but it's a solemn, necessary chapter. Very little dialogue, but I could picture this chapter clearly, can you? **_**Guided**_** I'm thinking will have about 30 chapters, maybe a couple less, so we're getting to the end. At least the update was quicker this time, right? :)**

**Twenty-Five**- _Godric's Hollow (January 5__th__, 2002)_

The tiny, sleepy community known as Godric's Hollow had existed through the ages with very little change. The same small stone church held court in the middle of town, the graveyard next to it containing both magical and Muggle persons, both known and those whose entire life had been spent in the idyllic, peaceful community. Much of their fame amongst magical people was due to what the Muggles had called a 'gas explosion' that destroyed the little cottage belonging to the Potter family. The young man and his wife had been buried in the graveyard and according to the Muggles, that had been the end of their family, they hadn't known the Potters had a small son at the time.

Sirius' jaw was clenched tightly as he Apparated into this small town along with Severus Snape, who was likewise very tense. This was a place of nightmares for both of them; Sirius had lost his best friend and brother, Severus a very dear friend and former secret love. They were here on a mission however and couldn't afford to let emotions and memories get in the way.

A quick check in the Ministry of Magic had revealed that the wands of the late Potter's hadn't been recovered from Godric's Hollow by Ministry investigators or Albus Dumbledore. Their wands were either in the rubble of their old home or buried with them. Sirius dearly hoped it wasn't the latter. Wizards didn't believe in spirits haunting those who dug up old graves, but he would rather not have to disturb their rest in any case.

Harry was staying behind with Pol, keeping a fond eye on their hyper son and staying out of trouble himself, something that became more important to Sirius as his daughter's April due date approached. Remus had stayed behind as well. After much discussion with Severus, he had agreed to take Rohan's offer, the offer that would 'upgrade' him, so to speak, from werewolf to Lycan. When Remus had admitted to the conversation with Rohan and what it would do if he accepted, Sirius was floored.

Remus was sound asleep at the moment; the full moon had been two days ago. Rohan assured them his deep sleep was quite normal, the upgraded version of the virus often took up to three days to fully spread through the body and get rid of the 'contaminated' version. It would affect his best friend's health, appearance and abilities, turning back time so to speak as well as giving him enhancements that would make even Fenrir Greyback quake in fear. Werewolves were highly respectful and fearful of their 'ancestors' and with good reason.

It was snowing, he noticed. Sirius flicked the hood of his warm cloak over his face, catching Severus doing the same thing out of the corner of his eye. The other wizard's long, pale fingers seemed even more so against his jet black cloak, the only thing showing in the profile of his face was the curved nose and the faintest outline of his mouth. His dark eyes, Sirius idly noticed, disappeared entirely in the blackness of the hood.

Even though they weren't expecting any trouble, both wizards tightly clenched their wands underneath their long sleeves. Being unarmed, even for a moment, was a fatal and stupid mistake in the middle of the war. Both wizards had been fighting for so long that it was engrained instinct to maintain a grip on their only means of defense.

They walked slowly into the town, taking no notice of the few curious Muggles who watched them walk by. Sirius walked slightly faster, leading the way from memory. The number of times he'd come into this small town to see his friend… Pushing aside memories that would only bring tears at the moment he closed his eyes, forcing himself to see the cottage as it was now, as he had seen it last. A burned and broken wreck of wood, slivers of glass and stone. About half of it was standing, he remembered, including where both James and Lily had fallen.

Even with the mental bracing, it was hard to look up and _see_ it all of a sudden, rising out of the snowy afternoon. There was a complex notice-me-not charm on the whole area, including the yard, which let the Muggles only see an empty lot. There was a Repulsion spell on it as well, to keep Muggles from wanting to own the empty, prime lot.

Sirius took a deep breath and stepped forward, opening the rusty gate with a loud squealing of hinges. Realising Severus wasn't behind him, he turned around. Severus stared at the wreckage of the Potter home, pale face almost ashen under the cloak, lips slightly parted and eyes obviously lost in the past. Sirius propped open the gate with a rock so he wouldn't have to open it again and turned pack, placing a hand on Severus' shoulder and saying the man's name firmly.

"Severus."

Severus jerked out of his grip like a startled deer, half raising his wand before he realised the eyes in front of him were dark grey and not another colour like the one rising in the memory. Either red or green, Sirius guessed. The spy took a few deep, steadying breaths and after a long, misty exhale nodded once, sharply.

"Please do not mention my- momentary weakness- when we return, Black."

"Wasn't even thinking of it," Sirius replied quietly, turning and walking through the gate again. This time Severus followed, breath hitching slightly as they stepped over the door which had been blown off its hinges.

Sirius stared around the whitewashed walls of the living room, hardly damaged in the chaos. None of the personal belongings or furniture remained; he was surprised by the still-standing fireplace of grey stone. Directly where he remembered seeing (and sobbing over) his dead best friend was a small vase of daffodils, the vase rimmed in tiny aquamarine stones. A small plaque was next to it that read, _here was found James Ignotus Potter, born March 27, 1960. Died defending his wife and son from the Dark Lord, October 31__st__, 1981._

Next to the vase was a small glass box. Inside the box, resting on a soft cushion of red velvet was the mahogany wand James had wielded so expertly for 10 years. Severus stepped around him, knelt next to the box and waved his pine wand carefully over the box. It popped open after a few murmured spells and he lifted the wand gingerly out of the box, offering it to Sirius.

"There are preservation and anti-theft charms on the boxes, when we replace the wands I will place a better anti-theft one myself, that one was hardly enough," he explained, some of his snide superiority coming out in his voice.

Sirius merely nodded, placing the wand in a bag they had brought along. The pair slowly made their way upstairs, passing the main bedroom in the cheery blue hall and heading for the small nursery on the back left. It was Severus' turn to freeze as they entered the almost destroyed room, staring at the vase of carnations and garnets with a plaque that read, _here was found Lily Evans-Potter, born January 30__th__, 1960. Died saving her son from the Dark Lord, October 31__st__, 1981._

The glass case was identical to the one downstairs aside from a gold cushion and a pale willow wand. Upon scanning the box with a mild detection spell Sirius was half-amused to note that Severus was right, the anti-theft charm would hardly keep out a 12-year-old, let alone a full grown and fully-qualified witch or wizard. He popped it open without any problems and carefully retrieved the wand.

He was about to put it away when Severus stretched out a hand. Understanding what the other man was about he offered the wand and watched the Potions Master turn it over in his fingers, feeling the traces of Lily's magical signature that lingered in the wand even now. Reluctantly, Severus gave back the wand and Sirius placed it in the pouch with James' before placing it in a deep inner pocket of his cloak.

Sirius straightened, looked at Severus and said quietly, "I think we're done here."

Severus merely bobbed his head in agreement, obviously ready to depart. Neither man felt like lingering in the shattered remains of what had been a happy home. Nor did they feel like stopping at the graveyard where their friends were buried. Time enough for that kind of grief and remembrance later. For now, both were eager to see the end of the war that had taken too many lives, split apart too many families, not just that of their dead childhood friends.


	27. TwentySix: Wrath & Rituals

**A/N:**** Sorry about the long wait, I have no excuse :( I ran out of motivation and energy for a while, but I'm back now. This one is starting to wrap up. I'm thinking no more than 30 chapters, perhaps less**

**Twenty-Six**- _Wrath & Rituals_

Just as Sirius was approaching the small parlor a few weeks after regaining Lily and James' wands, a very innocent looking silver and blue china teacup shattered against the wall directly in front of him with a soft tinkling sound. Taking this as an indicator of his husband's well-deserved bad mood he carefully poked his head around the corner instead of just striding into the room as he'd previously planned. However, Harry had either run out of things to throw or regained control of his temper, as he was seated on a loveseat in front of the fireplace with his fists clenched white on his lap.

It was late January and the stress of the war showed on Harry's six month pregnant form in the slump to his shoulders and the shadows under his eyes. He looked tired and defeated a strange mix of sadness and anger on his face. Sirius didn't speak; instead moving to Harry's side and sitting down, reaching out to cautiously rub one of his tightly clenched hands.

"What brought this on, love?" he asked after Harry began to relax, filling one of the other teacups sitting on a tray with some of the relaxing herbal mix Harry preferred at the moment and placing it in his hand.

Harry didn't answer, instead waving his hand at a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ sitting on the table near the tray.

**ATTACK ON DIAGON ALLEY! SEVERE CASUALTIES LISTED!**

**By Rita Skeeter**

_Diagon Alley, London- the scene here, my dear readers, is one of massive destruction and utter chaos. He Who Must Not Be Named attacked not even an hour ago with what authorities say is about half of his forces, taking out Ollivander's', Flourish and Blotts and Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor amongst many other businesses and high civilian casualties._

_The unexpected attack was opposed by the Order of the Phoenix, lead by Albus Dumbledore. It is with extreme sadness that this reporter must tell you that the Headmaster of Hogwarts School is amongst the casualties, along with Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody and Molly Prewett-Weasley. Molly is survived by her husband and 5 children, Ginerva Molly Weasley died at age 16 and Ronald Bilius Weasley was imprisoned for her death in Azkaban less than a month ago._

"_We were unprepared for the attack, I will admit that," Amelia Bones, head of Law Enforcement, admitted earlier today. "The Order of the Phoenix should have stayed out as well however. They were badly outnumbered and stood no chance of changing the outcome today."_

_10 witches and wizards died here today aside from the three Order members, along with Fortescue and Ollivander. For those thinking about their children's education, Ollivander's great-grandson assures that he will be keeping the wandmaker's shop open, saying that "this is a family business, he had trained me to take it over when he died, we just thought that would be of natural causes."_

_For more information on the attack, see inside._

Sirius sighed and set the paper back on the table. Rubbing the bridge of his nose he said, "Why in the hell would Albus attack Diagon Alley when he knew he would be outnumbered? Not only that but he dragged the Order along with him!"

"If I knew that," Harry said curtly, "I wouldn't have lost my temper at seeing the article. I told the Order to stay put until we contacted them with information and a plan. I'm relieved in some way to have Albus and Molly dealt with but dying wasn't included in my list of possible outcomes!"

Sirius stood and turned to Harry, helping him get to his feet. "Shall we see if more information on the ritual has come up?"

Harry nodded and they made their way out of the parlor, headed for the larger family living room. The scene when they arrived a few minutes later made them pause and wait quietly. Lord Rohan of the lycans had been a constant presence the past few days as they researched the ritual, gathering useful texts that were out of their reach and helping them decipher old languages.

His main goal, however, had been helping Remus get used to his 'upgraded' status. At the moment this meant they were working on his ability to shift forms at will, rather like an Animagus. Severus appeared to be reading a book, but Sirius could see he was watching the pair like a very protective hawk. He appreciated the ex-spy's instincts, wanting someone to keep an eye on his friend while he worked on this.

Remus looked frustrated at the moment and said something to Rohan, too low to be heard by anyone else. Without lifting an eyebrow Rohan shot a blast of pure magic at him about the size of an orange. It crackled with energy and Remus reacted instantly, simultaneously throwing his body lower to the ground and swiftly changing form. The result was the magic harmlessly dissipating against the wall and leaving behind Rohan, Severus and a crouched iron grey wolf that would be more than 6 feet in height if he stood on his back paws alone.

Cautiously the wolf looked around and when he sighted no other immediate threat he changed back slowly and Remus snapped, "What in the hell was that?"

"That was me proving that you don't need to do it _right_, you just needed to make it instinctive. If you have one problem with working on your new instincts it is your tendency to over-analyze things. Dodging out of the way was what the lycan inside you was yelling in your ear and you _listened_ instead of arguing with it. Keep doing that and this won't be nearly as difficult."

"I always did say you thought too much," Sirius said with a small smirk, announcing their presence finally.

Remus rolled his eyes and jabbed back with, "While you never thought at all if possible."

Sirius pouted for a moment before giving an unrepentant grin and saying, "Yeah that sounds like me. Why bother thinking too much? All it does is give one a headache."

Remus snorted in response and said, "What's going on?"

"Did you see the _Prophet?_" Sirius asked instead of answering.

"No," Remus replied in trepidation.

Sirius summoned the paper and offered it to his friend, who read the article in silence. His eyes narrowed at first and then widened in shock as it went along. Handing it to Severus he said, "What were they _thinking_?"

"That's still up for debate," Harry responded dryly, earning a small snort of appreciation from Severus, who handed the article to Rohan with a disgusted expression on his face.

"There is one benefit, one of the two 'Lords' referred to in the Prophecy just killed himself so we don't have to do so. I highly doubt any of us will miss the backstabbing presence of Molly or the extreme paranoia of Alastor either," Severus deadpanned, an entirely serious expression on his face.

"_Severus!"_ Remus exclaimed, sounding scandalized. The Potions' Master merely quirked an eyebrow in response, as if daring Remus to try and say he would miss any of the three main casualties.

Turning to Rohan Harry said quietly, "Anything new on the ritual?"

He responded instantly. "It has to be performed on a new moon, after the wands have been soaked in a special potion for two weeks. The potion involved is very simple to brew; I have already provided it to Severus. The effects last four hours, so we need to draw out the Dark Lord to a suitable area and make sure that he doesn't decide to flee."

Harry smiled bitterly, earning a strange look from his companions. "What place has Voldemort coveted more than any for the past fifty years at least?"

Realization dawned on Sirius' face just as Remus protested, "Harry, you can't possibly mean what I think you do! What about the students?"

"This secures their futures, Remus. I think Amelia will understand and close the school itself. Hogwarts needn't be damaged in the attack, but the school has been the one thing he coveted for the longest. He would not flee if he thought it finally in his grasp."

"I have some standing in your Ministry," Rohan stated. "I will gain the assistance of Lady Malfoy's husband and we shall approach her in the next few days. By the end of February this will hopefully be over."

"Hopefully," Harry echoed, tiredly closing his eyes and leaning against Sirius. _I am ready to be done with this._


	28. TwentySeven: Ritual

**A/N:**** Sorry about the very long time between updates :( Holidays around my house are hectic and afterwards we tend to crash, so that's why it's been so long. On a note about real life, what did you think of the Hobbit Part I if you saw it?**

**Twenty-Seven**- _Ritual_

The potion had been brewed, Amelia contacted and everything was set for the ritual and the end of the war. Voldemort would be at the school tomorrow evening, not suspecting a trap. Some of Lord Rohan's men had gone to him with 'rumors' of the school wards coming down for maintenance. He had taken the bait, almost too easily. There was nothing they could do about it though, things were set and they were about to perform a ritual that was classified technically as Dark Arts, similar to necromancy.

Harry knelt on the ground on both knees between Sirius and Remus. On Remus' other side was Severus, next to him was Lord Rohan. After Rohan was Cian, followed by Narcissa, Draco and Hermione. They were in a circle around each other; an open space in the middle was filled with ivy, aloe and ruby-coloured cloth. The ruby had long been considered a stone for luck in war or bloodshed due to the deep red hue and was required for the ritual. In the very center was a shallow basin of onyx, carved with special spells with a hoard of runes, some familiar to Harry, others not.

Taking a deep breath, Harry carefully began the ritual. He uncorked the tall vial of potion and carefully poured it into the basin, speaking as he did so. "Tonight, under the light of a new moon, we call upon the veil between worlds, seeking family and friends of old."

He broke off a few of the ivy leaves and let them drop as he murmured, "With ivy, the binder of all plants and life, we call to those whose blood we share and who have shed their own for our cause."

Next to him, Sirius carefully shredded a few of the aloe leaves and dropped them into the basin as well, to Harry's accompanying words of, "With aloe, the plant of healing, we seek to heal old wounds and barriers, giving those of both the living worlds and spirit world peace."

During his words, the basin began to glow with a brilliant white light, slowly turning gold. Harry carefully lifted the basin and poured the liquid onto the ruby cloth which was wrapped around his parent's wands. "With the cloth of ruby and the wands of our departed loved ones we call upon the spirit world to release the spirits of James Ignotus Potter and Lily Marie Evans-Potter to us again, to bring about the end of a Dark Lord."

Harry picked up a tiny diamond blade, taking a deep breath. Up until now the ritual had been fairly benevolent, but it now required blood, which served as an unpleasant reminder of the last ritual Harry had been present for. He placed the blade in his palm and twisted carefully, breaking the skin of his hand with a slight hiss. "With the blood of a direct relation as payment, we ask for their release from now until the end of this battle. Release them to us and be assured that they will be returned when their time is up. _So mote it be._"

Starting with Sirius, the others added their own repetition of '_so mote it be.'_

The red cloth caught fire with the last repetition, startling a slight cry from Hermione, the last speaker. They all remained on their knees despite the reaching flames, which swiftly changed colour from red and gold, to blue, white and finally black. When the black flame began to die, the smoke it left behind swirled in the air, leaving behind shapes that were forming slowly into human figures. However, instead of two there were _three._

Surprisingly it was the last, unexpected figure that formed the swiftest. Sirius' breath hitched as he stared in shock at the young man, whose smoky body was gaining density and firmness. For the moment ignoring the living, the man removed a wand from his pocket, swirling it lightly through the air. Seemingly satisfied, he looked directly at Sirius with faintly similar features and said, "Hello brother."

Eyes wide, Harry realized who this must be just as his husband whispered, "Regulus? How?"

"You can't possibly think that Potter and Lily were the only ones who wanted revenge against this bastard, brother mine. Or is it the fact that I never was truly the 'perfect little Black heir' you thought I was?" The question was voiced in a venomous, yet hurt tone.

Sirius appeared lost for words, which Regulus took advantage of. "So much for family being thicker than blood," Regulus said bitterly, "or stronger than house. The _moment_ I was sorted into Slytherin you turned on my faster than our hateful family. I was the only one to defend your Sorting, did you know that? We were a close-knit pair as children, then you tossed me off like so much baggage for your _friends._ How much a fool did you feel when Pettigrew betrayed you, Sirius? Did you ever bother to think of your little brother?"

Sirius swallowed. Then he spoke, his voice rasping and thick with emotion. "I thought of you every day, Regulus. I thought about you, _feared _for you, _hoped_ that you would be able to break away from our family's insanity. I hated myself for running away when I did, felt like a coward for leaving you behind when I knew our _mother_ had been bearing down harder upon you with her expectations. One of the most frequent images the Dementors brought up during my time in Azkaban was of the day our father contacted me and said the tapestry registered you as _dead._ I wanted to go to your memorial," he spoke with his own bitterness, "but our _mother_ kept me from saying goodbye. I never should have abandoned you, Reg, and I'm sorry. My friends shouldn't have come between myself and my precious little brother."

Regulus stared at his brother, who knelt on the ground with streaming tears running down his features. Without another word he moved away from his living older brother, floating a few inches off the ground as he approached the slowly standing Severus and Narcissa. Sirius breathed heavily next to Harry, chest heaving as he attempted to control the urge to break down sobbing at the sight and words from his younger brother. Harry squeezed his hand and stood slowly.

Sirius looked up and gasped, quickly moving to stand himself. Remus had done so much more smoothly on Harry's other side, though he shot worried glances at one of his oldest friends.

Approaching them were James and Lily, who appeared to have aged a little in the spirit world. James' right hand was linked with Lily's left and both held tightly to their wands, returned to their true owners at the end of the ritual. Lily stepped forward to Harry, eyes brimming with unshed tears. She was almost solid, though at close range Harry could see through her a little.

"Mother," he whispered, voice a little choked himself. He could see the trio of Marauders to his left, but focused on his beloved mother.

"Harry," she murmured in return, "my beautiful and brave son. You are so precious, sweetheart. I am so proud of you, as is your father. We have been with you always, and will continue to be. I wish I could hold you, but that will have to wait, for I hope not to see you in the spirit world for many, many years. Your son is wonderful, so bright and clever. Hold him close, along with all of your family. You never know when it might be the last time you will do so."

"I wish this hadn't happened, Mother," Harry whispered. "I wish he was gone already, that you and father hadn't died to keep me alive and that I wasn't famous for being an orphan. So much has happened, and not all of it has been good. I am scared, Mother. I fear that I may lose someone else before this is over."

"If you do, Harry, know that they died making sure this world would be a better place. Do not take the guilt for their death upon yourself; blame the correct person for their death. For now, my precious child, do not worry about the future. It will happen; it cannot be stopped or altered. Concentrate on spending one last night with those you care about and cherish this time you have with your father and myself. All too soon we must leave and we will not meet again for quite some time."

For the rest of the night, Harry sought to do as she said, forging new memories and reveling over old ones with those he loved, departed and living. _Just for tonight, live._

**A/N: What did you think? Also, I need your help finding a few stories! Please let me know author, title or location if you recognize! Type links as .net otherwise you'll lose the link!**

**This one is a one-shot, Sirius/Remus/Harry. It's an alternate 7****th**** year fic. Harry is graduating and he knows what he wants for a gift, Sirius and Remus. It's a lemon, and all I can remember is that everyone calls Harry 'Angel' for some reason and the password to Sirius & Remus' quarters is 'Delicious Innocent' in Latin or some other language.**

**One-shot again, Remus and Harry are sharing a private, M-rated moment when Ron finds them. At first he's angry and says some very stupid things to Sirius, who stops him from interrupting. Eventually he changes his mind and decides that he wants something like their relationship (in other words, something with love). **


	29. TwentyEight: Battle & Endings

**A/N:**** I'm sorry this took so long, I have had a hectic few weeks! Thank you for sticking around though :D Thank you ALL for reading this, I would list your names but that would be a chapter in itself. You know who you are. Lurkers, anonymous and signed, thank you all!**

**Twenty-Eight**-_Battle & Endings_

It was late afternoon the following day. Despite the fact that Voldemort would likely be here in a few hours, Sirius knew his restlessness stemmed from a different source. He had already checked in on Harry, who was usually found conversing with his mother Lily, Severus often in tow. He knew James and Remus were catching up as well. He knew what his problem was, it was _solving _it that was the difficult part.

He had scoured the usual haunts he remembered from school, the process of wandering around bringing back memories both good and bad. However, Regulus had always been good at hiding from him, the spectral form merely made it a bit more difficult for Sirius to track him down. He _knew_ he needed to talk to his brother somehow, perhaps it was this same need for closure that had brought Regulus back with the others.

He was about ready to admit defeat. It appeared, as he approached the Astronomy tower, that Regulus did not want to be found, least of all by Sirius. He understood, he didn't particularly want this conversation to happen either. That was all well and good, however, there were a few things that just _needed _to be said, things that Sirius needed explained or to explain.

He leaned against the railing and blew out a soft huffing sigh, staring out across the grounds of what had been his safe haven for 7 years. It was about ten minutes later that he felt rather than heard movement behind him. Turning around, he stared quietly at his pearlescent younger brother. "How long have you been here?" he asked.

"As long as you have," Regulus replied, leaning back against an invisible wall.

"Do you mean to tell me," Sirius began, temper rising slightly, "that you've been following me all over the castle when you _know_ I've been looking for you?"

"Yes," Regulus replied, without the slightest hint of apology. "I needed to know if you actually _wanted _to speak to me, or were doing it out of a form of obligation. I'm impressed, you were very determined."

Sirius chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "Didn't know you were into stalking people, Reggie."

Regulus scowled at the nickname and replied, "Not people, just you, mutt."

"Now don't I feel special," Sirius deadpanned.

It was Regulus' turn to shake his head. "Now, why were you chasing after me all through Hogwarts?"

"I think we have a few things that need to be said. I'll go ahead and ask the first, why did you act so angry with me after I left Grimmauld for good?"

"I knew you were leaving," Regulus admitted. "I was working up the courage to ask you to take me with you, but you left before I could. I was never as brave as you, Sirius, I didn't think I would be welcome amongst your friends."

Sirius' eyes widened. "You wanted to leave?"

"Do you think I _wanted _my life, Sirius?" Regulus responded bitterly. "To be the perfect prince of a bigot family and be forced into service for a man who terrified me? To die at barely 18 because I finally had _enough_ and wanted to live my life?"

He sobered. "My question next. We were so close Sirius, why did you turn on me the _moment _I was sorted into Slytherin?"

Sirius sighed. "Slytherin wasn't the first choice though, was it Reg? It was Ravenclaw if I had to guess. I wasn't so much angry at you as angry at the fact that you gave in to what I saw as HER demands. I hated Slytherin, Regulus, hated everything it stood for. To me the people who were sorted there were the ones that agreed with Mother's ideals and all the nonsense she spewed."

"You hated it because you wanted me to be myself?" Regulus asked incredulously. "All this time I thought you hated me because of those colours. You and your friends played cruel pranks and jokes on people, laughed and got away with it and you're telling me the reason why you were so _awful_ to me is you wanted me to be myself?" His voice was slightly hysterical.

"Yes," Sirius answered softly, lowering his eyes to the stone floor. "I wasn't very good at expressing myself, Regulus. I wanted only the best for you and in my opinion the family ideal was overwhelming you. I didn't know how to get you out of it and in my helplessness I fell back on anger, at our family, their traditions and ideals and everything they stood for."

Looking up into his younger brother's eyes he said simply, "I'm sorry, Regulus. I'm sorry for everything I ever did, said, didn't do and didn't say. I should have been a better brother for you and I wasn't. I didn't find out you were gone for three days after our family knew. I saw it in the _Daily Prophet. _Mother turned me away when I went to your memorial to say goodbye."

Regulus' stiff posture seemed to soften and he said after a long moment, "I can forgive, Sirius, but I don't know if I can forget. Not at present time, in any case. Perhaps in the next life, though I don't want to see you any sooner than necessary."

"I love you, brother mine, and I agree with you. I will be happy to see you again, but for now this life of mine isn't over yet."

The brothers exchanged a slight smile and headed down the long staircase, into the approaching sunset and the final battle for wizard kind.

* * *

Harry ducked, neatly dodging a _Sectumsempra _which struck the Death Eater behind him, fired by his current opponent, one Alecto Carrow. What remained of the Order had shown up about an hour ago, the fighting beginning nearly two hours previous. Sirius was close by, battling Bellatrix Lestrange, who was holding her own but becoming a bit desperate.

For now the deceased were hiding themselves, weaving in and about the battlefield firing the occasional useful hex, curse or jinx to help out. Harry knew Voldemort was on the field, his scar was burning something fierce at the moment.

He cast a quick _Protego _followed by a choking hex. Alecto went down, slumping forward to reveal a gash in the back of her neck. By quickly concentrating on the spot behind where she'd been standing Harry identified Regulus Black, who nodded in Sirius' direction, clearly asking if Harry was going to go help.

Harry nodded in response and ran in his husband's direction, firing off a curse as he ran. Bellatrix was forced to lean backwards parallel to the ground to avoid the spell, giving Harry the time he needed to run forward and position himself near Sirius, who flashed him a quick, tired grin. There was dirt on his face and a shallow cut on his shoulder, but he was still holding his own.

The two of them began firing off spells in concert, Bellatrix quickly backing up and defending herself as viciously as a wild cat. After a while Sirius began casting curses and hexes that Harry didn't recognise, but he knew enough to realise they were from the Black family library. Bellatrix's eyes widened in surprise and shock and she continued to back up. She backed just a little too far and Sirius caught her in the front with a blasting hex while Regulus came up behind and conjured a solid wall. She hit with a grisly _crunch_ as bones snapped on impact and slid down to the grass, mostly paralyzed.

Sirius walked up to her and hissed, "You will never hurt my son or family again. Don't worry Bella, your mad lord will join you soon." He cast a mild cutting hex at her throat, killing her himself rather than leaving her behind and risk her surviving the battlefield.

A look to their left revealed a steel-coloured wolf, one of a dark amber brown and one of solid black. The amber brown and black ones were quite a bit taller than the steel one, though he was a great deal heavier. Fenrir Greyback's gold eyes looked faintly alarmed at the combination of Lord Rohan and Remus, both of whom had a few advantages over the aging werewolf.

Harry's scar abruptly seared with pain and he turned quickly to his right, pulling Sirius with him and _just_ avoiding a bright green curse cast by the red-eyed, pale skinned figure from his nightmares over the past few years.

Voldemort snarled at him and was just about to speak when he quickly ducked, avoiding a white coloured spell by about an inch. He spun to his right, revealing Cian, who stood his ground and stared down the Dark Lord with an impassive gaze.

"Who are you, fool, to challenge me?"

"I am Cian, Tom Riddle. Perhaps you have heard of me?"

Red eyes widened. "The guardian of the Gryffindor family line," he hissed. "Last grandson of Godric Gryffindor himself. But that is impossible, you would be ancient dust by now."

Harry's eyes widened. He exchanged an incredulous look with Sirius, stunned at the revelation.

"I swore an oath of fealty to my Grandfather before he died. In exchange for being alone the rest of my life, I have been able to stand guard over a great many generations of the last pure Gryffindor descendants, the Potter family line. I will not let you harm them, not when it means the Potter family line is finally secure and I may rest."

The pair began to duel, Cian using a great many elemental spells in his arsenal as it progressed. However, the ancient guardian's age finally began to show up against him and he was faltering. The acid green colour of the Killing Curse had Harry crying out in warning, and a blur streaking across the field. Voldemort appeared confused at the still living form of Cian when the guardian himself cried out in grief and shock, staring at the still form of Lord Rohan, who stared with blank open eyes at the night sky.

Fierce rage filled his eyes and he snarled, "You will pay for this, _Lord _Voldemort. You have killed the Ancient, the oldest remaining original lycan in existence, my childhood friend, my life mate in different circumstances. For that you will die."

Their duel before was nothing compared to the one that erupted this time. However, Voldemort seemed to realize he could distract Cian and flung a Killing Curse at Harry, who barely ducked out of the way. He was splitting his attention between the two, holding his ground and forcing them to dodge and cover each other. A stray _Sectumsempra _was flung in Sirius' direction and there was no way for him to dodge.

Cian smiled at Harry and said, "Rest safe, Lord Potter. I know you will defeat him," and flung himself in front of Sirius with a faint look of relief and satisfaction on his face.

Voldemort turned his sole attention on Harry and taunted, "How many more will die for you today, Potter? How many will sacrifice their lives so you can hide behind them?"

"None," a voice that wasn't Harry's said clearly. Slowly Lily Potter materialised to her son's left, earning a wide-eyed stare of shock and slight fear from the Dark Lord.

"He has never hidden from you, and he never will. My son is a Gryffindor by blood and heart, his courage cannot be measured. Sometimes, Voldemort, courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to act in spite of it," James called, appearing to the right.

"All of those here on his side today are there by choice. Can you say the same of your reign of fear and terror? Those that hold your mark only show up because they fear what may happen if they don't, not because they want to be there. None would take the fall for you when you disappeared, just as none will now," Regulus said as he appeared to the far left.

"Harry," Lily said softly to her son. "You couldn't have done this earlier, but you have a family now and know the meaning of love. So take the true love you know, the love for Sirius, your son and unborn child, for those of us here for you today and cast _Avada Kedavra. _Powered by love the spell will be red instead of green and his heart cannot take the love you hold in your heart and soul. The Unforgivables will be unmade with this one last casting."

Harry took Sirius' hand in his, feeling the bonding ring on his husband's finger. Sirius brought both of their hands to rest on their daughter, leaning against his back. Harry closed his eyes for a moment, drinking in the presence of his beloved and the love, hope and support he could feel from those deceased and the living behind him, and tightened the grip on his wand.

Opening his eyes he looked into the shocked and afraid red ones and said, "_Avada Kedavra!"_

The spell was a deep ruby red, the colour of blood, of love and warmth. It rushed toward the Dark Lord with a loud rushing sound, striking him with absolute silence and then the deep ringing sound of a gong. The spell picked him up off the ground and flung him to the grass five feet behind, landing sprawled and broken.

Lord Voldemort, the greatest and most powerful Dark Lord since Grindelwald in 1945, was dead.

**A/N: What do you think? Just the epilogue left, I might have it up tomorrow night! I'm not very good at describing battles, hopefully this wasn't too bad. BTW, if you have any last minute input on a name for baby girl Black, let me know. I have a good idea what she's going to be named, I just want to know your thoughts.**


	30. Epilogue

**A/N:**** One last round of thanks, for this is the last Author's Note for Guided by a Star… :( It's been a long ride, I'm glad you came along with me!**

**Epilogue**

Once the fact that the war was actually _over_ settled in, people began to react, shouts of laughter, screams of joy and disbelief, exuberant hugs and more than a few kisses that would never have come about if not for the great release of emotion. Grief settled in not too long after as witches and wizards, magical creatures and beings alike began to realise who they had lost.

Once again Harry Potter was the golden child of the newspapers and everyone and anyone wanted to speak with and see their Saviour. Harry could have cared less. As he reminded the one reporter who accosted him as they were leaving Hogwarts for the last time, "My name is Harry Black and it was not too long ago you all believed the worst of me. I have done what was expected of me, find someone else to bother with your 'praise' and camera flashes."

They took Cian and Rohan back to _Lux Eterna,_ laying them to rest on a cliff face overlooking the sea. Harry chose it due to Cian's griffin form, it was a reminder of the proud and graceful guardian and their first meeting. He couldn't have known that this was the very cliff where the two had often sat centuries before, when they were young and thought love could overcome duty and heritage.

With the war over they had gone back to their normal lives, Severus had his potions, Remus wrote texts and explored meetings with various surviving packs of Lycans, Sirius took both his and Harry's seats in the Wizengamot and began pushing through new laws and codes that would make the everyday wizard and magical creature's life a lot easier and Harry was more than content to raise their son and prepare for the birth of their daughter.

In 8 years Polaris Sirius Black would attend Hogwarts and prove his godfather Remus' mate correct, he was a little snake to the core. Minerva McGonagall, who repaired her relationships with the Black family and friends after the war, would often be heard wishing for the Marauders again as the little snake made her life _interesting_ to say the least over the next 7 years.

Still, Polaris would graduate at the top of his class and be surrounded with a close-knit group of friends all his life. After two years of travelling he took the Potter family seat from his Father and the two sat in on Wizengamot sessions together, discussing pros and cons as they went.

In 12 years Polaris Black would take the Black seat from his father as well, who wished to retire from politics and spend more time with his bondmate and children, glad to hand over the reins to his enthusiastic and capable 22-year-old son. It was a very good choice as Polaris Black held a young but wise voice and possessed the ability to truly make people _listen_ to his words.

By age 30 Polaris would have pushed through enough laws of reform and equality that they became known as the "Black Laws" and filled many a child's home history lessons. The tiny baby born in Azkaban prison could never have been foreseen as the youngest-ever Minister of Magic, elected at age 42. The deaths of Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort had indeed paved the way to a future that looked brighter and brighter the farther one looked.

For now though, 3-year-old Polaris had no idea of his future, nor did anyone else sitting in the spacious private sitting rooms outside the master bedroom. He was bouncing excitedly on his heels, having just been informed that his Papa was having the first of what would be 3 siblings.

When they were finally ushered into the room 4 hours later, Sirius gave his son a very goofy smile and lifted him up onto the bed where Harry lay so that he could see his sister. He giggled and smiled over her, eliciting smiles from everyone in the room. When Harry handed over his daughter to her godfather Severus Snape, the bright windows caught just a slight glimmer of moisture in his eyes as he smiled at the tiny girl with dark reddish-black curls and huge green eyes.

"Everyone," Sirius beamed, "we would like to introduce you to Ianthe Elpis Black."

At that moment, the future couldn't have been brighter.

**Name:** website is Behind the Name, Yahoo or Google bring it up easily enough.

Ianthe: Means "violet flower", derived from Greek _ιον (ion)_ "violet" and _ανθος (anthos)_ "flower". This was the name of an ocean nymph in Greek mythology.

Elpis: Means "hope" in Greek. In Greek myth Elpis was the personification of hope. She was the last spirit to remain in the jar after Pandora unleashed the evils that were in it.


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